Culpepper v. Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Opinion

KERRIGAN, J.

J.The 19-year-old plaintiff sued the defendant Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWA), the importer of the Volkswagen, to recover damages for severe personal injuries sustained in a single-car automobile accident which occurred about 10 a.m. on December 19, 1968, on the Riverside Freeway in Orange County when the 1966 Volkswagen she was driving rolled over when she attempted a lane change maneuver. Plaintiff claimed that the car was defectively designed and the case was submitted to the jury on the theory of strict liability in tort. The jury returned a verdict for $75,000 and…