SUZUKI WINS DEFENSE VERDICT IN MOTORCYCLE PRODUCT LIABILITY LAWSUIT

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. , Nov. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Suzuki Motor Corporation is pleased to announce that a Fullerton jury has returned a defense verdict in a products liability lawsuit stemming from the 2014 motorcycle accident involving a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000. On Oct. 11, the jury deliberated for five hours before returning a 12-0 verdict in favor of Suzuki Motor Corporation. On Nov. 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 at the time of the crash, and there was no design defect in the motorcycle. This evidence, combined with witness testimonies, led to the jury's unanimous verdict in favor of Suzuki.

Suzuki thanks the jury for its service and confirmation Suzuki was not negligent in the design of the motorcycle. Suzuki believes in and stands by all of its products.

Suzuki is 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.

SOURCE Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.