Philadelphia Jury Awards $20.7 Million in Case Against Honda Over Motorcycle Gas Cap Design

Legal

Jun 21

PHILADELPHIA, June 21, 2024, (VSNewsNetwork.com) - A Philadelphia jury has awarded $20.7 million to Jamal Boyd in a case against Honda Motor Company, following an accident involving the design of the gas system on a 2014 Honda Grom motorcycle. The verdict is significantly higher than the $8 million pre-trial settlement demand made by the plaintiff.

Boyd, who was riding the motorcycle when he collided with a trash truck, sustained burns over 50 percent of his body. The gas cap of the motorcycle came off during the impact, leading to gasoline covering Boyd and igniting shortly thereafter.

The jury found the 2014 Honda Grom motorcycle’s fuel system design to be defective, noting that it was unsafe and not crashworthy. Boyd’s legal representation, Anapol Weiss, argued that the press-on gas cap design was inherently dangerous because it could detach during an accident, as it did in this case. Larry Coben, an Anapol Weiss shareholder, stated, “Honda’s design of the fuel system, which included a press-on cap, not a screw-on cap, was unsafe because it can come off in an accident, just like it did in Mr. Boyd’s case.”

Boyd, who was in his early 20s at the time of the 2020 accident, underwent twelve surgeries and remains severely scarred. The jury awarded him $2.7 million for non-economic damages and $18 million for pain and suffering, loss of pleasures in life, scarring and disfigurement, and loss of bodily function. Coben remarked, “This young man’s life was heavily altered by the design of the Honda motorcycle he was riding. Companies have a responsibility to sell products that are safe. This jury sent a very clear message that they must put safety as a priority.”

Anapol Weiss, a personal injury law firm based in Philadelphia, has a long history of representing clients in complex injury cases. The firm has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for clients affected by defective products, medical malpractice, auto accidents, and other personal injury matters.

For more information on Anapol Weiss and their services, visit https://www.anapolweiss.com.

Source: Anapol Weiss via Newswire