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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Run-away Jeep prompts owner to sue

A woman who ran over her leg while attempting to stop her run-away 1998 Jeep, filed suit against DaimlerChrysler in Madison County on June 24.

Janet Goode, who lives 190 miles north of Edwardsville in Putnam, is seeking more than $350,000 in damages from the Michigan automaker.

The incident occurred Feb. 19, 2004, when Goode's Jeep allegedly suddenly slipped from park to reverse. Her clothes got caught on the vehicle, which pulled her to the ground and caused the front left tire to run over her leg.

Goode bought her Jeep from co-defendant Competition Auto in Princeton, Ill. on July 16, 2003.

According to the complaint, the Jeep had a brake shift interlock system which Chrysler developed in 1993.

The suit claims prior to the manufacture of Goode's vehicle, Chrysler learned that the interlock could malfunction allowing the vehicle to suddenly shift from park to reverse even when the engine was not running.

Chrysler recalled 1.6 million Jeep Cherokee’s on Feb 15, 2002, because it learned that an internal shaft lever within the transmission could land on a flat space between reverse and park leaving the car in “hydraulic neutral.”

Goode claims Chrysler is strictly liable in tort because:

  • Chrysler knew or should have known the Jeep was unreasonably dangerous when placed into the stream of commerce in that it can shift from park to reverse;

  • The defect was in design and manufacturing;

  • The Jeep was unaccompanied by adequate warnings of the danger of the vehicle when slipping out of park into reverse;

  • Chrysler knew of the propensity of the Jeep to slip out of park prior to the time of manufacture; and

  • The Jeep’s transmission and brake shift interlock specifically reached Goode in the same condition as when it left the control of Chrysler.

    “Chrysler had a duty to sell, design, and manufacture a reasonably safe vehicle but breached that duty by selling a vehicle that could shift from park to reverse, and breach of that duty caused personal injuries to Goode including surgery to her leg,” the complaint states.

    Goode also claims that Chrysler made false material representation regarding the Jeep’s safety and express warranties in sales literature, advertisements, and sales promotional communications that the Jeep was safe.

    “Chrysler successfully established a profitable market for its defective product by causing purchasers and users to be ignorant of the known defect in their product, subjecting Goode to a false sense of security and confidence in the safety of the Jeep,” the complaint states.

    Goode accuses the dealership of failing to tell her that the Jeep had been previously subjected to a recall.

    Goode is represented by Robert Rowland of Goldenberg, Miller, Heller & Antognoli od Edwardsville.

    The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Andy Matoesian.

    05 L 590

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