jls wrote:


and a citation to the source of those facts so they can be verified,
rather
than your (probably clouded) recollection. I have never seen a judgment
awarded to an injured plaintiff when there wasn't some proof of negligence
or defective design proximately causing the injury. Maybe you can show
me
my first. I won't hold my breath waiting.


From AOPA e-mail news




JUDGE DENIES CARNAHAN REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL
A Kansas City judge has refused to grant a new trial to the family of
the late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan seeking punitive damages against
the Parker Hannifin Company. In a ruling, Circuit Court Judge
Charles Atwell said evidence supporting punitive damages was so weak
he was reluctant to give it to a jury. An investigation into the crash
of a twin-engine Cessna aircraft that killed Carnahan, his son Randy,
and aide Chris Sifford on October 16, 2000, found vacuum pumps made
by Parker Hannifin were working well enough for vacuum-driven instruments
to give proper indications. The Carnahan family alleged, however,
that Parker Hannifin earlier had refused to recall vacuum pumps it
manufactured to save money. However, evidence also indicated the
company reported pump failures to the FAA and also warned customers
that pumps could fail and urged the use of backup pumps. The family
sued for $100 million but a jury awarded $4 million from Parker Hannifin,
an amount that was later reduced to $2.4 million. Sifford's family
settled separately with Parker Hannifin, which no longer manufactures
the pumps, for $905,000, according to press reports. To learn more about
the lawsuit, read a previous column from "AOPA Pilot"
( http://www.aopa.org/epilot/redir.cfm?adid=4583 ).