Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Honda on Seatbelt Ruling

10/10/96

Reuters has reported that on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a U.S. Court of appeals ruling that said federal motor vehicle safety standards shield automakers from state liability lawsuits.

Supreme court justices declined to review a ruling from a U.S. Court of Appeals based in Denver. The appeals court ruled for Honda in a product liability lawsuit that alleged that Honda defectively designed the seatbelts used in 1988 Honda Preludes.

The case stemmed from a 1990 accident in which a freight train struck a Honda Prelude, throwing the driver from the car despite the fact that she had been wearing a seatbelt. The crash forced the car door open, and the safety belt, which was attached to the door, released her. The driver later died from her injuries, and her husband filed a lawsuit charging Honda with negligence and defective design of the seatbelt.

Both a jury and the appeals court ruled for Honda, finding that the door-mounted safety belt was not defectively designed because it met federal motor vehicle safety standards. Attorneys representing the plaintiff urged the Supreme Court to hear the case, but the justices sided with Honda and denied the appeal without comment or dissent.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel