A bankruptcy court judge overseeing Chrysler assets has approved a $24 million settlement in the auto products liability lawsuit filed by the family of Los Angeles longshoreman Richard Mraz who died when he was run over by a 1992 Dodge Dakota due to a transmission defect. According to an Associated Press news report, the settlement comes two years after a Los Angeles jury awarded $55 million in damages to Mraz’s family. The family’s lawsuit alleged that DaimlerChrysler had failed to fix and properly warn consumers about a transmission defect that made it seem as if the trucks were in park position when they were actually between gears. After Chrysler’s bankruptcy filing in April, negotiations began in this case, which resulted in the settlement this week.

Vehicle Defect and Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The 38-year-old Mraz suffered fatal head injuries in the accident at the Port of Los Angeles April 13, 2004. Attorneys for the family argued that the fatal collision was the result of a transmission defect, which caused the truck to slip into reverse after Mraz thought he had parked the truck and got out. According to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Mraz’s family, the auto maker had received more than 1,000 “park-to-reverse” complaints involving 1988 through 2003 model Dodge Dakotas. Chrysler issued a vehicle defect recall in 2000, but it was for repairs that apparently failed to rectify the transmission issue.

It’s not surprising to me that through the court proceedings, Chrysler denied that their vehicles were defective. They insisted that the fatal Los Angeles car accident occurred because Mraz failed to follow proper safety procedures. In March 2007, jurors found that the truck had design defect and that DaimlerChrysler was negligent for marketing and selling a defective vehicle. They also found that the company did not warn or take proper steps to recall the vehicle.

Injured Victims and Their Families Deserve Justice

I’m pleased that Mraz’s wife and children received fair compensation for their irreparable loss. This story is proof that there is still hope for victims who have suffered serious personal injury and families of deceased victims, who were injured as a result of defective Chrysler and General Motors vehicles. It’s only fair that injured consumers not suffer for the poor business decisions these large auto makers have made. The auto industry has received millions of dollars in taxpayer money — our money — in bail outs. Who’s going to bail us — the consumers — out of the mess that these auto makers have created in the form of defective vehicles. The nation’s courts and the civil justice system is the only ray of hope for these injured victims and their families.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our source for the facts is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, please contact us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. Most of the best law firms will provide accident victims a free consultation.

We cannot fully inform any party or family member about their rights, options or the economic viability of any claim for compensation without a full investigation and consultation. We will not be conducting an investigation into this matter unless we are retained by a party. We will provide a free, confidential consultation to any, not at fault, person named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.