BLUEFIELD – A Virginia woman has filed suit against General Motors over injuries her late son sustained in an auto accident in West Virginia, alleging that the vehicle was not crashworthy.
Samantha Christian, individually and as administratrix of the estate of Jonathan Reynolds, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia against General Motors LLC alleging strict product liability, negligent design and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on May 1, 2016, Reynolds was a passenger in a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer that was involved in an accident on state Route 16 near Bishop. The plaintiff alleges Reynolds sustained severe spinal injuries that rendered him paraplegic from his diaphragm down and that he suffered great pain and anxiety for more than 16 months until his death on Aug. 15, 2017.
The plaintiff holds General Motors LLC responsible because the roof structure and seat belt system of the vehicle were allegedly defective and that the vehicle allegedly was not reasonably fit or safe for its intended purpose.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, plus interest, attorneys' fees, costs and all other relief that the court may deem just and proper. She is represented by L. Lee Javins II and Taylor M. Norman of Bailey Javins & Carter LC in Charleston and Stephen P. New and Amanda J. Taylor of Law Office of Stephen P. New in Beckley.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia case number 1:17-cv-04598