Dykema Secures Victory for Kia America in $200 Million Wrongful Death Product Liability Suit

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that a trial team secured a significant victory on behalf of client Kia America, Inc., in a high-exposure product liability lawsuit tried in the Orange County Superior Court. The jury overwhelmingly supported a favorable verdict for the defense, rejecting the plaintiff’s demand for $200 million in damages.

The case centered on wrongful death claims arising from an alleged design or manufacturing defect in the 2017 Kia Forte’s constant velocity (CV) shaft. Plaintiffs alleged that the defective CV shaft caused the vehicle to lose power while traveling on the highway in August 2019, forcing the occupants to stop in a highway lane. While stopped on the highway, the Forte was struck by another vehicle traveling 70 mph, killing one of its passengers.

The Dykema trial team of Jim Feeney, Dommond Lonnie, and Nicholas von der Lancken successfully argued that the Forte’s CV shaft was designed and manufactured properly, only fracturing following the high-speed rear-end collision. The team also presented substantial evidence that the mechanical issue prompting the defendant to pull over was due to the vehicle being 14 months and 55,000 miles overdue for an oil change.

Due to Dykema’s advocacy, the five-week trial concluded with only an hour of jury deliberation, resulting in the defense’s victory.

Dykema attorneys Jimmy Azadian and Erik Silber served as Embedded Appellate Counsel.