Family Suing Seatbelt Manufacturer For 2005 Death
One of the biggest civil court cases to land in Bell County begins this morning with jury selection as the family of a Killeen woman is suing the designers of a seatbelt used in a General Motors vehicle.
The family of Jenny Singley, specifically her widowed husband, Harold “Chip” Singley, is suing Killeen resident William Rogerson for wrongful death and damages in the death of Singley in a March 17, 2005, car wreck in Harker Heights. Rogerson already has pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of second-degree manslaughter.
In addition to the driver of the vehicle, Singley’s family also is suing the maker and designer of the seatbelt, TRW Vehicle Safety Systems, who the plaintiffs argue are responsible for the seatbelt’s failure to function correctly.
Singley, who was driving a Saturn L300, was hit by Rogerson’s vehicle, which had swerved out of control, according to court records, and struck the driver’s side front of Singley’s car. Singley’s 14-year-old son, who was in the passenger seat of the car, and Rogerson, the driver of the out-of-control vehicle, walked away from the accident with only minor injuries. Singley suffered massive head trauma, including a cracked skull, which lead to her eventual death, according to the medical examiner’s report.
Court records show that the wreck left Singley hospitalized and non-communicative for more than 18 months before she succumbed to her injuries at an area hospital late 2006.
Until the end of last week, the automotive giant General Motors had been listed as a defendant in the case for the company’s role in assisting in the design of the seatbelt. But Jeff Meyerson, the Singley family’s attorney, said Monday that GM had been removed from the lawsuit.
Meyerson, from the Austin-based Meyerson Law Firm, said he was not willing to comment on why GM was removed at the last minute as a defendant in the case. He would not confirm whether a settlement was reached.
He did say that the family is seeking in excess of $1 million, the figure assigned to the estimated medical bills for Singley’s 18-month hospital stay.
Meyerson said the decision for the jury will be fairly simple, in principle at least.
“The jury is going to decide whether the seatbelt failed,” Meyerson said Monday. “She had severe fracture to the backside of her head. She was in a nursing home for 18 months before she passed away from her injuries. Her medical bills are in excess of $1 million. She was coherent that she could feel pain, but she couldn’t communicate. It was extremely painful for the family.”
Meyerson did not elaborate on any punitive damages the family may be seeking, nor did he comment on any monetary reimbursement beyond the medical bills.
“The plaintiff’s position was that the seatbelt failed to lock,” Meyerson said. The other side contends that the seatbelt functioned correctly.
Rogerson pleaded guilty in a statement to being responsible for the wreck, and was scheduled for a sentencing hearing last Friday for the criminal charge of second-degree manslaughter, which carries a punishment range of two to 20 years in prison. The sentencing was reset for February.
Meyerson said the outcome of the civil case could have a bearing on sentencing in the criminal case.
“His best defense is our case,” Meyerson said. “There is no dispute that the accident was caused by him … there is no dispute that the marks on (Singley) were different (than the marks found on the son sitting next to her).”
Jack Little, lead attorney for TRW Vehicle Safety Systems, could say very little Monday before the trial’s opening day, but did note that the plaintiff’s attorney in the case is attempting to shift the focus of the case to TRW, and away from the driver, Rogerson.
Scott Sealhoff, civil attorney for Rogerson, and Buck Harris, criminal attorney for Rogerson, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin this morning at 10 a.m., and opening statements for both sides should come this afternoon, heard by a jury and 146th District Court Judge Rick Morris, who is presiding over the case. The jury trial is expected to last at least two weeks.