June 1, 2012 – West Texas – A Chron.com story reports that relatives have filed a federal lawsuit against Chrysler and the other driver involved in the accident that caused the deaths of aHouston couple and paralyzed 2 of their children.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, May 14, states that design flaws in the family’s 2003 Chrysler Town & Country minivan contributed to the fatalities and injuries in the July 2, 2011 accident.
The collision occurred on U.S. 285 when Mike S. Doyle, the driver of a 2003Toyota4Runner, reached into the backseat and swerved into oncoming traffic before striking Josh and Robin Berry’s minivan. Doyle and his infant daughter survived, while his wife, Colleen Doyle, and Josh and Robin Berry perished in the accident. TheBerry’s daughter, Willa, 6, survived while their sons, Aaron, 8, and Peter, 9, were paralyzed.
The lawsuit argues that theBerry’s minivan lacked correctly designed crush zones on the front of the vehicle as well as an adequately designed safety cage. The suit also claims that seat belt and seat back defects contributed to the children’s serious spinal cord injuries.
Doyle was also named in the lawsuit for his part in the collision.
It is not uncommon to have multiple contributing factors in a serious accident. However, unless you are a trained expert, you may not know what to look for when determining what caused your injuries or the death of your loved ones. In this tragic case, it is likely that the Berry’s legal team employed accident experts to gather solid evidence that eventually helped them to conclude that their car manufacturer, Chrysler is also at fault for the injuries and fatalities that resulted in the accident.
Going up against a corporate giant like Chrysler will not be an easy fete. Big corporations have the resources to maintain the best and brightest legal counsel on staff. Furthermore, corporate lawyers are trained to protect their company’s reputation and bottom line and will do anything in their power to either vanish the lawsuit or settle for the least amount of money as possible.