Lawrence Baron pursued one of the most storied product liability cases in recent years in Oregon. He sought justice on behalf of Ann Kirkwood, a burn victim from Madras, Oregon. Kirkwood nearly died in a firey crash when her car collided with 1976 GM pickup truck with sidesaddle gas tanks. Her granddaughter, seated next to her, was killed by the fire and her granddaughter's half-brother, in the back seat, suffered severe burns. Upon collision, the gas tanks exploded and Kirkwood's vehicle was engulfed in flames.

At the time of the collision, the sidesaddle gas tanks were a known defect in the design of certain years of GM trucks. An effort was underway to recall the trucks. They had been estimated to have burned or killed hundreds of people nationally.

Because the defective GM truck was more than 8 years old when the collision occurred, Oregon law had to be changed to allow Kirkwood to claim damages against the Detroit manufacturer. Baron went to work on the burn victim's behalf. He hired a lobbyist and was successful in passing a special state amendment that allowed cases against "sidesaddle gas tanks."

GM hired 18 lawyers to fight the case, but finally settled on January 10, 1997, ten days before the trial was to begin. Details of the settlement are confidential. For his efforts, Baron was recognized as 1997 National Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. In presenting the award, the organization said Baron took on a case that virtually no one else would have pursued. Baron acknowledged the efforts of the many individuals who assisted him, not only Kirkwood and her family but also his co-counsel, Paul Whelan and Mike Withey.

Products liability covers the liability for the manufacture of a product for damage caused by that product. The liabilty can extend all the way from the manufacturer of component parts all the way to the retailer who sells the finished product. For more information on products liability contact Lawrence Baron, baron@baronlawfirm.com or 1-877-417-1117. If you have been injured by a defective product, please go to Lawrence Baron's online contact form.