A jury has awarded $16 million to an Ohio man who was permanently paralyzed after a 2012 accident involving a Goodyear tire, the Herald Palladium reports.
Harishkumar Patel, 57, sued Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for the first time in 2014 after a tire blew on his vehicle and caused him to get into an accident that left him permanently paralyzed. The first trial ended in mistrial when the jury could not reach a verdict.
The second time around, the jury found Patel was not negligent in his reaction to the blow-out and did not cause his own injuries.
Goodyear’s defense team argued Patel had over-steered his vehicle when the tire blew, which worsened the crash, and called witnesses who testified that the tire must have hit something on the road to separate the tread.
The defense also said the tire was safe when it left Goodyear’s Fayetteville, N.C., plant, and had plant employees testify.
Local media reports the jury awarded Patel $1.3 million for medical costs to date. He has also been awarded about $7 million for future costs of 24-hour care for the rest of his life, $3 million for pain and suffering to date and $250,000 a year for pain and suffering for the rest of his life, which is based on a life expectancy of 81 years old.
Jurors did not believe Goodyear was purposely negligent and the judge will adjust down the amount for pain and suffering because the jury did not find gross negligence.
According to the Herald Palladium, Goodyear is expected to appeal.
