A family recently went to court to accuse American Honda Motor Company of recklessly selling defective vehicles. On March 6, 2019, they were driving their 2011 Honda Fit Vehicle when struck from behind while making a slow turn. The back of the front passenger's seat failed and collapsed, unfortunately colliding with the child behind the seat. Although the child was sitting in a secure car seat, they suffered from acute head trauma, traumatic brain injury , and epidural hematoma. The mother, who sat in the collapsed passenger seat, also suffered from a concussion and acute blood loss anemia. Due to this accident, they lost wages and earning capacity and had to deal with extensive medical expenses.
On June 7, 2023, the family filed suit against Honda, stating that their injuries resulted from defects in the vehicle. They also accused Honda of negligence, breach of warranty, strict liability, and infliction of emotional distress. Honda attempted to dismiss the allegations of recklessness by arguing that they were unfounded and amounted to nothing more than the standard for a negligence claim. However, the Plaintiffs countered that Honda was aware of the risks to consumers posed by its defective vehicles and continued to sell them. The family's claims were based on the entirety of Honda's conduct, and because of this, the motion to dismiss was denied. In other words, it became clear that the claims against Honda were negligence claims that incorporated allegations of reckless conduct. This created an issue for Honda in dismissing these allegations because they attempted to dismiss only the accusations of recklessness instead of the negligence claims and others included in the family's complaint.
Honda also rejected their damages claims, stating that their claims did not describe any specific conduct that could be perceived as malicious to recover punitive damages. The Plaintiffs argued that "a request for punitive damages does not constitute a cause of action in and of itself and instead is 'merely incidental to a cause of action.'" (C.M. v. American Honda Motor Co., April 1, 2024, Gibson, K.) The court found that they agreed with the family and that it was 'premature' to request dismissal of punitive damages claims so early in the litigation. Also, Honda asked for fourteen paragraphs from the Plaintiff's complaint to be dismissed. This request was on the basis that the paragraphs were broad and had no material to make a defense on. However, the paragraphs did have statements on the failures and actions of Honda; because of this, the court could not conclude that the paragraphs Honda sought to dismiss were immaterial.
Unfortunately, this is one of many issues Honda has with manufacturing defects. According to Shweta Watwe, "American Honda Motor Co. convinced a federal judge to dismiss most claims in a proposed class action alleging defective brakes and electrical infotainment systems in some 2020-2022 models, but the plaintiffs have a chance to amend their claims." Multiple individuals are coming forward with issues with their Honda vehicles. This does not include the various recalls established for Honda parts in the past couple of years. It is important to note this news and be aware of the issues you may have or could potentially have with your vehicle.
Generally, car accidents involve multiple factors when determining who is at fault. In the case of this defective Honda, the company was at fault for providing defective merchandise to the consumers, causing them to suffer physically, emotionally, and economically. Contacting a car accident lawyer in the moments following an accident is crucial. With legal assistance, you can ensure that you will receive the benefits and compensation you deserve. At Gallardo Law Firm, we prioritize the needs of our clients and aid them in acquiring justice in every case.
