A jury of citizens of Livingston County, New York, has decided Harley Davidson must pay nearly $290 million in damages after the company found liable in a case involving the company’s recalled trike models from 2019 and 2020. The verdict includes $120 million in punitive damages for Harold Morriswho filed the first lawsuit against Harley-Davidson in 2019, and an additional $120 million in punitive damages for the estate of his deceased partner Pamela SinClair. The jury also awarded additional damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, reimbursement of medical expenses, future reimbursement of medical expenses, and future pain and suffering. SinClair’s family was awarded additional damages. The total amount of damages awarded by the jury is $287 million. In February 2019, Morris was riding his 2019 Harley-Davidson Trike-Tri Glide Ultra motorcycle when, according to the lawsuit, it “suddenly, inexplicably, unexpectedly, and without warning, malfunctioned and failed.” The trike’s brakes locked, causing it to slide into oncoming traffic and down an embankment. Morris and his girlfriend Pamela Sinclair suffered minor injuries in that accident. After that accident, which occurred before a formal recall, Morris had his trike repaired and inspected at Stan’s Harley-Davidson in Genesee County, New York. Morris and Sinclair were involved in another accident in June 2020, in which Morris claims his motorcycle malfunctioned again. In that accident, he suffered life-threatening injuries and Sinclair died. The accident occurred after Harley announced a recall for Morris’ trike. The manufacturer of the recalled component was Farmington Hills, Michigan-based company Robert Bosch GmbH. The 2019 lawsuit argued that both Harley-Davidson and Robert Bosch “acted negligently by failing to timely, adequately and properly inform, warn and notify consumers and the public of the product defect and the motorcycle recall.” A Harley-Davidson spokesman said last week the company “respectfully disagrees” with the jury’s decision and will appeal.
