Tracy
MARSHALL-After an East Texas man lost control of vehicle due to hitting an ice patch, he has filed a lawsuit against Honda for not making his Accord more crashworthy.
Christopher Curtis filed suit against Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and America Honda Motor Co. Inc. on Aug. 27 in Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.
The incident occurred on March 21 as Curtis was driving a 1999 Honda Accord northbound on Interstate Highway 35 in Denton. Curtis states he lost control of his vehicle when he hit a patch of ice which caused the vehicle to roll over.
Curtis claims his vehicle was unreasonably dangerous and uncrashworthy due to a weak, inadequately reinforced side and roof structure and lack of structural integrity causing the survival space to be compromised, according to the complaint.
He accuses the defendants of failing to conduct vehicle-to-vehicle side-impact testing and pole-impact side-impact testing and failing to conduct proper engineering analysis relating to maintaining survival space.
Specifically, Curtis states the vehicle lacks sill override guards, a reinforced b-pillar cowl junction, reinforced side rail and reinforced roof structure.
The defendants are accused of negligence in the design, manufacture, assembly, marketing and testing of the vehicle.
The plaintiff is seeking damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, impairment, disfigurement, interference with his daily activities, reduced capacity to enjoy life, loss of consortium, medical expenses, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, interest and costs of suit.
Curtis is represented by E. Todd Tracy and I. Scott Lidji of The Tracy Firm in Dallas.
U.S. District Judge David Folsom is assigned to the case.
Case No. 2:10cv00324