Brad Watkins and Emily Hancock Obtain Summary Judgment in Heavy-Trucking Products-Liability Case

Brad Watkins and Emily Hancock recently obtained summary judgment for PACCAR, Inc. – which manufactures Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks – in a products-liability action brought by a heavy-truck mechanic. The mechanic was working under a truck when his coworker unthinkingly cranked the ignition, causing the truck to begin moving forward and injuring the mechanic’s leg. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia held that any alleged flaw in the design of the truck was not the proximate cause of the mechanic’s injuries, and that the actions of the mechanic’s coworker in cranking the truck were an independent intervening act that was not foreseeable by PACCAR.