Suzuki wins verdict in motorcycle product liability lawsuit
Suzuki Motor Corporation announced that a Fullerton, California jury has returned a defense verdict in a products liability lawsuit stemming from the 2014 motorcycle accident involving a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000. On October 11, the jury deliberated for five hours before returning a 12-0 verdict in favor of Suzuki Motor Corporation. On November 2, the court entered judgment in favor of Suzuki.
The lawsuit, brought by plaintiff Tina Achstein, alleged that a defect in the front brake of her son’s Suzuki motorcycle, which was subject to a recall by Suzuki, led to a fatal crash in October 2014 at the intersection of Ball Road and Western Avenue in Anaheim. Over the course of a five-week trial, Ms. Achstein claimed that a design flaw in the front brake caused the motorcycle to crash. The jury, however, concluded that Suzuki’s recall of the front brake was not a contributing factor to the accident.
Throughout the trial, Suzuki presented compelling evidence demonstrating that the front brake was fully functional during the crash and the motorcycle had no design defect. This evidence and witness testimonies led to the jury’s unanimous verdict in favor of Suzuki.
Suzuki thanked the jury for its service and confirmation that it was not negligent in the motorcycle’s design. Suzuki said in a statement that it believes in and stands by all of its products.
Suzuki said it was proud of the dedication of its legal team, which included Richard A. Mueller and Heather F. Counts from Lewis Brisbois LLP and Jordan Tabak from Bowman & Brooke LLP.
