David Montpas successfully argued to a panel of the Thirteenth Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi that it should affirm a defense verdict on behalf of Kawasaki. At trial, the plaintiff claimed the utility vehicle was defective because of the design of the cargo bed and its latch. Plaintiff received serious leg injuries when the cargo bed tipped as he was trying to stand in it, and he sued for millions of dollars in actual damages. Following a two-week trial led by David Prichard and Jeff Hawkins, the jury found no design defect in the vehicle. On appeal, the plaintiff challenged several evidentiary rulings by the trial court. The court of appeals rejected Plaintiff’s argument and affirmed the jury’s verdict.
Fisher v. Kawasaki Heavy Indus., Ltd. et al, 13-15-00364-CV, 2017 WL 2817662 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi June 29, 2017, no pet.)