Seattle Taser Suit Moves Forward

The Court ruled that a lawsuit against the Seattle, Washington police for shooting a pregnant woman with a Taser for refusing to sign a traffic ticket could move forward to trial, rejecting the police officers’ motion for summary judgment.  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004474548_taser13m.html  This lawsuit is a similar to Federal case tried recently in federal court in Maine, in which the jury found a South Portland Police Officer liable for shooting a man with a Taser who had been pulled over for speeding and was arrested for Operating Under the Influence.

 

Taser Loses Product Liability Lawsuit

Taser Loses 1st Product-Liability Suit; Jury Awards $6 Million By Margaret Cronin Fisk June 7 (Bloomberg) -- Taser International Inc. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=TASR%3AUS <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=TASR%3AUS> , the largest stun-gun maker, lost a $6.2 million jury verdict over the death of a California man who died after police shot him multiple times with the weapon. The defeat is the first for Taser in a product- liability claim. A San Jose, California, jury yesterday said Taser had failed to warn
police in Salinas, California, that prolonged exposure to electric shock from the device could cause a risk of cardiac arrest. The jury awarded $1 million in compensatory damages and $5.2 million in punitive damages to the estate of Robert Heston, 40, and his parents. The jury cleared
the police officers of any liability. The lawsuit is Heston v. City of Salinas, C 05-03658 JW, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose).