Jury Says Alabama Engine Maker Not Liable in Plane Crash

October 12, 2012Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetArticleComments

An Alabama jury has decided that Mobile-based Continental Motors is not responsible for an airplane crash that killed a Louisville, Ky., man four years ago.

The Press-Register reported  that jurors reached the decision Tuesday in Mobile after more than two weeks of testimony.

Natalie Freeman had sued the Alabama firm, alleging that a faulty crankshaft split apart as her husband flew a single-engine Beechcraft 36 in December 2008. The defense had argued that mistakes in the plane’s overhaul were at fault.

Evan Freeman had taken off from Chicago Midway International Airport on Dec. 18, 2008, bound for Bowman Field Airport in Louisville, Ky.

Freeman reported engine trouble and tried to land the aircraft on a Louisville golf course, where it clipped a tree and crashed.

 

 

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Email ThisPrintNewslettersTweetCategories: Southeast NewsTopics: Alabama jury, Product LiabilityHave a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk

View the Original article

N.J. Judge to Decide If Text Sender Liable for Car Crash

(AP) A New Jersey judge will likely soon decide whether a woman who sent a text message to a male friend can be held liable for a car crash he caused while reading the message.

The Daily Record reports the legal question stems from a lawsuit filed by two Dover residents who were seriously injured when a 19-year-old driver crashed into their motorcycle in September 2009. One victim had one of his legs torn off above the knee, while the other had her leg amputated because the injury was so severe.

The driver received three motor vehicle citations and pleaded guilty earlier this year. He was ordered to speak to 14 high schools about the dangers of texting and driving and had to pay about $775 in fines, but his driver’s license was not suspended.

The victim’s lawyer claims the woman aided and abetted the driver’s negligence by texting him when she knew or should have known he was driving.

However, her lawyer is seeking to have her dismissed as a defendant, saying she had no control over when the driver would read the message. He also claims the legal arguments made by the victims’ attorney are not supported by case law.

For example, he said a passenger could be held liable for a crash if they encourage a young driver to speed or ignore traffic signals. But the woman had no control over the driver’s conduct since she wasn’t in the car.

In a deposition for the case, the woman said she didn’t know whether her friend was driving when she texted him. But she also said she

View the Original article