Chrysler Loses Appeal over Punitive Damages

In 2001, 8 month-old Joshua Flax was in a car seat in the back seat of the family Dodge Caravan.  A pick-up truck rear-ended the minivan, a collision that should not have caused serious injury to a child in a car seat. Unfortunately, the collision caused the right side front seat to break, go backwards, and hit and crush the small child's skull. Chrysler knew about the tendency of these seats to break and a Nashville Jury did the right thing, awarding punitive damages against Chrysler to send them a message. This was Chrysler's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Court upheld the Nashville Court's award of $13 in punitive damages. For more information, click here.