Say “brain injury lawsuit,” and most might think of an action taken on behalf of one injured due to the simple negligence of another. While that often may be the case, there are actions involving brain injuries (or all types of personal injuries, for that matter) for which there may not be a direct connection between a plaintiff and defendant. In scenarios where a defective product might have led to a brain injury, an entire company can be the target for litigation.
One might question how a defective product could correlate to a brain injury, yet that is just what is being alleged in the lawsuit filed by a Texas woman against the telecommunications giant Motorola. She alleges that faulty radio equipment sold by the company led to the delays that resulted in her husband’s brain injury. He was a former fire captain who was severely injured when his legs were pinned by debris in a hotel fire in 2013 (both legs later had to be partially amputated). Because of the communication problems caused by the radios, her husband was ultimately trapped in the oxygen-depleted environment for close to 45 minutes. He was found, and ultimately emerged from a subsequent six-month hospital stay with the mental capacity of a five- or six-year-old.
The woman is not the only person to sue Motorola in connection with this particular fire; the families of three other firefighters killed in the blaze (plus an additional survivor) brought an earlier action against the company which was later settled. Patterns such as this may leave little doubt who is liable when multiple people suffer due to the failures of a product. Those looking for compensation for such suffering may wish to consult with an attorney before bringing action.