Tata Motors Required to Pay $21 Million to Victim Paralyzed in Rollover Accident

By Andrew Weatherford

Published on June 04, 2009

In a product liability lawsuit, a man from Simi Valley, California has been awarded $21.1 million for severe spinal cord injuries that he suffered in a 2003 Land Rover rollover accident. Mr. Sukhsagar Pannu, 53, was paralyzed as a result of the accident and now requires around-the-clock care.

In a decision rendered on May 18th, the Los Angeles County Superior Court found that Tata Motors, the Indian auto company that owns the Land Rover brand, was liable for Mr. Pannu's injuries and responsible for paying the multi-million dollar settlement. Tata Motors bought the Land Rover brand from Ford Motor Corp. in March of 2008.

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the design and construction of the Land Rover were cited by Judge Robert H. O'Brien as major contributing factors in the victim's injuries. Lawyers for Tata Motors have announced that they plan to appeal the court's decision.

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