Verdictly
Verdict-Plaintiff
Maricopa County • 2016

Jury Awards $14.2 Million for Fatal Defective Truck Design

A vehicle's transmission was negligently designed. The truck suddenly slipped from park into reverse, causing the vehicle to move backward and strike a person.

Case Information Updated: October 2025

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Other Injury
Other Accident

Case Outcome

Outcome
Verdict-Plaintiff
Amount
$14,200,000
County
Maricopa County, AZ
Resolved
2016

Injury & Accident Details

Injury Type
Other
Accident Type
Other
Case Type
Motor Vehicle Accident

Case Overview

A plaintiff was struck and killed when a truck allegedly slipped from park into reverse, causing the vehicle to move backward suddenly. The plaintiff's representatives subsequently filed a lawsuit against the vehicle manufacturer, alleging negligent design of the truck's transmission.

During the trial, experts for the plaintiff testified regarding mechanical engineering, vehicle accident reconstruction, and design defects, as well as human factors in product design and safety. The defendant presented experts who focused on human factors, warning labels, and failure analysis of automobile systems. Following the trial, a jury found in favor of the plaintiff and awarded $14,200,000.

VerdictlyTM Score

38
/100
Potentially Unfair

This outcome significantly deviates from similar cases

This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.

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