Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Product Liability Case

In a ruling released on February 17, 2012, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a dismissal of a product liability action that was obtained by RRD partner Rob Laney last year in the United States District Court. The plaintiff was involved in a serious one-car accident in which her car rolled over multiple times in I-95, ejecting her from the vehicle and causing her to sustain multiple, life-threatening injuries. She sued the manufacturer of the vehicle and the manufacturer of the tires, claiming that defects in the tire caused the accident and defects in the seat belt system caused her to be ejected.

The District Court dismissed the plaintiff's case due to the plaintiff's inability to produce expert testimony to support her claims. In a decision that was announced just one week after the appeal was argued, the Second Circuit affirmed the trial court's decision to dismiss the case.