Taser Int'l takes first lawsuit loss; ordered to pay $6 million

[MnFats]

Taser Loses First Liability Lawsuit



www.montereyherald.com


Taser International has been remarkably successful fending off lawsuits, until now. By one count, Taser has won 69 straight court cases, but the company lost last week in federal court in northern California. A lawyer for the plaintiffs in that case said the verdict sets a precedent for Taser liability.

The Monterey County Herald reported:

A federal jury has held Taser International responsible for the death of a Salinas man in U.S. District Court in San Jose on Friday, and awarded his family more than $6 million in punitive and compensatory damages.
An attorney for the family called the verdict a "landmark decision," and indicated that it was the first time Taser International had been held responsible for a death or injury linked to its product.

But the jury exonerated Salinas police, including four officers, in the death of 40-year-old Robert Heston Jr. on Feb. 20, 2005. Heston died a day after being shocked repeatedly by officers using Tasers. An autopsy found that Heston died from a combination of methamphetamine intoxication, an enlarged heart due to long-term drug abuse, and Taser shocks

[flashl]

1. Wow! Thats big. nt