General Motors Corp. v. Farnsworth

FABE, Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

After experiencing near fatal injuries in a car accident, Kimberly Farnsworth sued General Motors (GM) in strict liability for designing a defective seat restraint system. Following a fiveweek trial, the jury returned a verdict for Farnsworth, awarding her $2,138,973 in compensatory damages and $5,600,000 in punitive damages. The superi- or court denied GM’s motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict and a new trial, and GM appeals. We conclude that the superior court erred in rejecting a comparative negligence instruction and refusing to require the jury…