Automotive Litigation & Autonomous Vehicles
GRSM offers robust resources to automotive clients in disputes or facing litigation. Our comprehensive defense includes trying complex, high-demand cases to verdict in jurisdictions across the country. A decisive advantage for clients is the depth of our technical knowledge related to product design and development, testing, system integration, and manufacturing. Clients also benefit from our rapid response to incidents and ability to preserve critical evidence early in a case.
Our product liability lawyers represent clients in courts in the most challenging jurisdictions around the country. We have experience with claims against automotive products, systems, sub-systems, and components including allegations of defects related to airbags, seat belts/restraints, fuel systems, vehicle control and stability systems.
From powertrains to tires, brakes and post-collision fires, if it’s part of an automobile, we’ve come up against it. Allegations and claims we’ve defended, settled or taken to trial include:
- Personal injury
- Product defects
- Property damage
- Recalls
- Wrongful death
In addition to trial resources, GRSM has developed complex case management and discovery counsel services, including e-discovery. We bring in the business perspective from the start as we develop efficient strategies to achieve optimal outcomes.
GRSM attorneys have experience handling thousands of warranty cases and consumer fraud claims and lawsuits. We have successfully tried numerous consumer cases to verdict, and we are leading the discussion in appellate issues of first impression in this developing area of the law. For example, we:
- Represented a client in a two-week consumer fraud and punitive damages trial in Tulare County, California, involving allegations of a defective diesel engine, resulting in a non-suit on the plaintiffs’ fraud and punitive damages claims.
- Represented a client in an AAA arbitration arising out of a dispute over the terms of the vehicle’s written warranty, resulting in a complete defense verdict on all claims.
Our attorneys are active members of the defense bars focused on these claims and frequently are asked for their evaluation of pretrial defense strategies, briefing and legal arguments.
- Represented client in a multi-week product liability trial alleging a defective airbag system installed in a vehicle involved in a high-speed crash. Plaintiff sought more than $10,000,000 in damages in closing argument and the jury returned a defense verdict.
- Represented client in an eight-week catastrophic injury brain injury case involving a vehicle roll over resulting in a defense verdict for the client. Plaintiffs sought more than $20,000,000 in their closing argument as a result of the accident.
- Represented client in a three-week product liability trial involving allegations of a defective restraint system (decoupling of a seat belt). Plaintiff sought more than $5,000,000 in damages in closing argument, and after the defense closing, the case resolved very favorably to the client before a verdict was reached by the jury.