Golonka v. General Motors Corporation
Jan 01, 2004OUTCOME: $14.2 million jury verdict
Ruth Golonka was killed when a 1987 GM Sierra pick up truck that was standing still with no one inside, shifted itself, from Park to Reverse and ran her over. She left behind a loving husband and five ... children. The jury awarded $6 million in compensatory damages (reduced to $4.2) million, plus $10 million in punitive damages. The case was reversed on appeal (based on a change in law regarding the heeding presumption) and sent back to the trial court for a new trial. The matter was subsequently resolved.
