Settlements & Verdicts
Jane Doe v. Harbor Freight, et al.
4/10/2006—The Plaintiff, an eleven year old girl, sustained second and third degree burns to her thighs and abdomen after her nightgown ignited from a space heater. Product liability claims were filed against defendants, DESA International, Inc., and Harbor Freight, as the manufacturer in interest and distributor of the Glo-Warm space heater, and against Richard Leeds International, Inc., and Wal-Mart, as the designer and distributor of the nightgown. It had been alleged that the heater was defective since the grill guard allowed clothing to pass through and ignite rapidly from the pilot light of the heating tiles. It had been alleged that the cotton nightgown was defective since consumers were not warned that the garment was unsafe for a child, that it was not flame resistant, and that it did not comply with the children’s sleepwear regulations. This case was settled prior to trial for $2,225,000 with payments in a structured annuity expected to total an additional $4.7 million over the course of the plaintiff’s lifetime.
