HDBDK Obtains Unanimous Defense Verdict for American Honda

FORT WORTH, Nov. 20, 2007 - Attorneys Jeffrey Patterson and Giovanna Tarantino obtained a unanimous defense verdict on behalf of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in a product liability case tried in Fort Worth, Texas. The plaintiff alleged defects in the manufacture of his motorcycle, specifically that contamination and a recall condition caused the engine to unexpectedly shut off and caused his crash. The plaintiff was seeking more than $3.5 million in damages. After a ten day trial, but only twenty-two minutes of deliberation, the jury found the motorcycle was not defective and the plaintiff’s negligence was the sole cause of the crash.

Counsel for Defendant American Honda Motor Co., Inc. were Jeffrey Patterson and Giovanna Tarantino of Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern, L.L.P. The defense experts were Todd Hoover (electrical engineer), Tom Carter (motorcycle handling and stability), Steve Olson (accident reconstruction), Paul Labrum (quality assurance and management), Dr. James Rancourt (polymer chemist), Dr. Michael Stevenson (failure analyst and fretting), and Rodney Sowards (forensic economist). The plaintiff’s counsel were Tom Hall and Susan Heygood of Hall & Heygood, L.L.P. The plaintiff’s experts were Dr. James Pugh (failure analyst and fretting), Gene Haynes (electrical engineering), Tom Taormina (quality assurance and management), Dr. Gene Trevino (economist), and Greg McCoy (tax accountant).