Product Liability Results: Seatbelt Litigation

Consumer justice attorneys Leopold Law settle Ford Mustang Deadly crash lawsuit

Date: December 10, 2009

The Andrade family has reached a settlement with Ford Motor Company. The lawsuit arose out of a rear-end accident that killed Norma Andrade, a wife and mother to several children. Everyone involved in the accident walked away with no injuries, except Norma, who was killed despite being a fully seat belted while seated in the right rear seat.

Smith vs. Kia

Date: June 19, 2009

Kia settled a seatbelt case involving a 1996 Kia Sephia. Blake Smith was involved in a single vehicle accident involving the Kia Sephia. Blake's Sephia was involved in an off-set frontal collision with a Chevrolet pick up truck. Upon impact Blake's seatbelt became unlatched, allowing Blake to move excessively forward and strike his head on the windshield header rendering him a quadriplegic. The seatbelt in the Kia Sephia had been recalled for false latching.

Consumer justice attorneys settle rollover crash suit with Isuzu Motor Corp.

Date: March 12, 2009

Ted Leopold and Leslie Kroeger, partners of the consumer justice law firm of Leopold Law, P.A., have reached a settlement with Isuzu Motor Corp. on behalf of their client, Ms. Hilary Everett, who lost both of her legs in a 2007 rollover crash that ejected her from the vehicle despite being properly seat-belted.

Firm Obtains Recovery For Paraplegic Little Girl

Date: June 9, 2008

A mother was driving with her two young girls in her 1988 Nissan Sentra. One girl was in the right front passenger seat wearing her lap/shoulder belt. Her other daughter was a rear passenger wearing a lap-belt only. Their car was hit head on.

Case Involving Death of Mother While her two young children helplessly look on settles just days before beginning trial

Date: June 8, 2006

On March 9, 2005, Sebastian and Ian, ages 11 and 9, watched in horror as their mother, Dodi Kelley, drowned before their eyes outside the Waste Management facility in Okeechobee, Florida. Dodi Kelley's accident and death was as a direct result of Waste Management ignoring a public hazard it created and had known about for years.

Ford/TRW settled a seatbelt case involving a Ford F250 pickup truck. Dodi Kelley was killed when her vehicle hydroplaned after hitting a puddle of water and rolled over into a drainage ditch. Water from the ditch began to fill the truck's passenger compartment. Mrs. Kelley, with her two young sons in the vehicle looking on, could not release her seatbelt. Mrs. Kelley drowned as her sons watched helplessly. The case settled for a confidential amount.

Firm Successful Against GM Over Boy Rendered Paraplegic By Seat Belt (Topete v. GM)

Date: May 8, 2006

LOS ANGELES, CA - The law firm Leopold Law, P.A. successfully fought General Motors on behalf of a 16-year-old boy who became a paraplegic from the lap belt he was wearing in a car crash.

Nissan Motor Company and FP&L's conscious indifference results in devastating injury to small child

Date: April 5, 2003

CORAL SPRINGS, FL - On the morning of October 19, 2000, Coral Springs resident, Nadine Brailsford, was doing her weekday morning routine, starting the day by driving her young son, Corey to preschool. Nadine was driving her 1998 Nissan Sentra. Corey was seated in the center rear seat wearing the lap belt only restraint. The center rear seat did not have a shoulder belt.

Takes A Death To Show That Chrysler Concorde Rear Seat Has Faulty Design and is Unsafe

Date: September 8, 2002

On Sunday, December 9, 2001, John Regaled was driving his 2000 Chrysler, Concorde, LXI 4-door car. He had two passengers in the vehicle - Sandra Bohem, seated in the right front passenger seat and Ludy Ragaldo Galiani seated in the right rear passenger seat. All occupants of the vehicle were using their restraint belts.