Punitive Damages -- 2021



Toyota v. Reavis   (Tex. Ct. App.)

Excessive damages following admission of improper "rebuttal" evidence at trial

The NAM filed an amicus brief seeking to reverse a $242 million verdict in a product liability lawsuit against Toyota that resulted from unfair trial procedures. During trial, the court failed to apply established restrictions that traditionally limit admission of “other-incident evidence,” thus allowing the jury to decide whether front seats in the vehicle involved in the underlying accident were defective based on inflammatory evidence including hearsay TV videos involving different alleged defects, in different vehicles, causing different injuries. In addition, the case implicates the Texas Legislature’s decision to afford a presumption of nonliability to defendants whose product designs comply with federally mandated safety standards, as the front seats in question undisputedly complied with federal standards. The MCLA's brief argued that Texas law expressly guards against admission of other-incident evidence, and it affords a meaningful presumption of non-liability for manufacturers who comply with federal safety standards. Unfortunately, on June 3, 2021, the court affirmed the judgment.


Related Documents:
NAM brief  (February 28, 2020)