Civil Litigation,
Government
Dec. 30, 2019
Pole maker faces liability for accident it had no role in causing
The pole was sold as a “breakaway” model, designed to sheer off at its lower section to minimize impact when hit by a car. But it did not break, and the plaintiff sustained multiple serious injuries including a skull fracture and brain damage.
A company that makes utility poles can be forced to share liability over an accident it had no role in causing, a unanimous panel with the 3rd District Court of Appeal has ruled.
The case started with a 2014 car accident caused when a woman identified as Katie was rear-ended by an SUV driven by an employee of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Her car then spun off the freeway and collided with the utility poll.
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