Hyundai to Pay Punitive $73M to Crash Victim Family
Hyundai could be on the cusp of a public relations nightmare.
The Korean automaker will pay $73 million in punitive damages to the families of two Montana teenagers killed in 2011 as a result of an accident in a 2005 Hyundai Tiburon. The families of Trevor and Tanner Olson sued in 2011, alleging that Tanner Olson lost control of the Tiburon due to a defective steering knuckle breaking.
SEE ALSO: Hyundai Teases 708-HP Sonata for SEMA
Lake County District Judge Deborah Kim Christopher has ruled that Hyundai showed “an indifference to or reckless disregard of the health and safety of the motoring public.” The Judge also rejected the automaker’s bid to further reduce the original $240 million punitive award while also upholding the state court jury’s award of $8.1 million in actual damages to both families, resulting in a total judgment of $81 million.
Christopher also reiterated that Hyundai had 127 warranty reports of steering knuckle problems and with “over a decade of notices of problems or defects with their steering knuckles in their passenger vehicles,” apparently took no steps to investigate. The automaker originally contended that the accident was caused by fireworks exploding in the car just before the crash.
[Source: Automotive News]
Discuss this story at our Hyundai Tiburon forum