Vermont Jury Awards $43.1M to Woman Paralyzed in Crash

July 3, 2013

A 51-year-old Vermont woman has been awarded a $43.1 million jury verdict against the manufacturer of a car seat that allegedly collapsed during a 2007 car accident, leaving her a paraplegic.

The award is believed to be the largest civil verdict in state court in Vermont history.

Dzemila Heco of Essex Junction was injured on Aug. 4, 2007, when the car she was driving was rear-ended.

Heco’s lawyers argued the car seat back collapsed, causing severe spinal-cord injuries. Heco was wearing a seat belt.

The jury returned the judgment last Friday against Johnson Controls, Inc., of Milwaukee after a two-week trial.

The Burlington Free Press reports Johnson Controls disagreed with the verdict. The company says the seat exceeded all government and industry standards. The company is considering an appeal.

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Latest Comments

  • July 10, 2013 at 1:33 pm
    Huh! says:
    The seat may have been defective; after all, they shouldn't collapse. However, how does that cause the paralysis? The proximate cause is the crash. The seat collapse no dou... read more
  • July 8, 2013 at 3:35 pm
    D says:
    Yeah. Sh*t happens. Easy for YOU to say. The seat was defective. It paralized her. What's she supposed to do?
  • July 8, 2013 at 9:58 am
    mdagent says:
    Title says quadriplegic, article says paraplegic. Big difference. Either way it stinks.

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