Jury Awards $18 Million to Victim Who Lost Leg in Rollaway Incident

Jeffrey Wu suffered life-altering injury due to defective gearshift in Jeep

DAKOTA COUNTY, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A Minnesota jury has returned a major verdict in favor of plaintiff Jeffrey Wu, awarding Mr. Wu and his wife Ting Yang over $18 million in damages following a catastrophic incident involving a vehicle defect in his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. This defect also led to the death of actor Anton Yelchin in a similar incident back in 2016.

The case, brought by the law firm Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball, LLP, centered on a dangerous gear shifter called the monostable shifter that misled people into believing the vehicle was in park when it was actually in reverse. FCA (also known as Chrysler) failed to equip the vehicle with a safety system called AutoPark, which would prevent injuries when a driver failed to achieve park.

The defects in the Jeep Grand Cherokee allowed the vehicle to roll backwards when Mr. Wu was trying to exit the vehicle, crushing his left leg, which resulted in amputation. This happened in March 2022, and unknown to the plaintiffs at the time, the defendant had issued a recall of that model in 2016. Evidence at trial indicated that the defendants knew the gear shift was faulty as early as 2011 but decided to use it in certain Jeep and Chrysler vehicles and failed to provide adequate safety warnings.

“The evidence showed Chrysler knew this vehicle was defective before it ever hit the market,” said plaintiff attorney Kyle Farrar. “Jeff was a foregone conclusion based on decisions Chrysler made years before his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee was ever manufactured.”

“Manufacturers have a responsibility to prioritize safety over cost-cutting decisions, especially when lives are at stake,” said plaintiff attorney Wes Ball. “While this won’t restore what Mr. Wu and his family have lost, we are pleased with the outcome.”

Meshbesher & Spence attorney Genevieve Zimmerman was also counsel for the plaintiffs and the firm has commended her work in helping to secure this victory. Mrs. Zimmerman said she “was pleased a jury saw past Chrysler’s excuses and held it responsible for the immense harm it caused Jeff and his family.”

The award includes damages for pain, emotional distress, disfigurement, medical expenses and future care, and lost earnings, as well as loss of services and companionship.

The case is Jeffrey Wu and Ting Yang vs. FCA US LLC, case No: 19HA-CV-23-981 in the First District Court of Minnesota, Dakota County.

About Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball

The trial lawyers at Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball have hard-earned expertise in cases against global auto and tire manufacturers over various automotive defects, as well as tire-tread separation defects that can cause vehicles to lose control and roll over, often at highway speeds and without warning. The firm has secured verdicts and settlements against some of the largest automakers in the world in cases involving auto defects. For more information, visit klfblaw.com.