GENESEO, N.Y. — A New York state Supreme Court jury has ruled in favor of plaintiffs Harold E. Morris and the estate of Pamela SinClair, determining compensation around $290 million in a case against the prominent motorcycle manufacturer, Harley-Davidson. The lawsuit stemmed from an alleged product defect in one of the company’s three-wheeled motorcycles.
The jury’s decision included substantial punitive damages, allocating $120 million each to Morris and SinClair’s estate, signaling a strong rebuke of the motorcycle company’s safety protocols. Additional compensation was provided for pain and suffering, medical costs, and other related expenses.
Morris was seriously injured and his longtime partner SinClair fatally injured in the accident involving the malfunctioning motorcycle. According to lawsuit documents, the accident occurred due to a sudden and unexpected failure in the motorcycle’s braking system.
Describing the outcome, Morris’s attorney Paul Edelstein deemed it a case of “small town justice” prevailing over a corporate giant. Representatives for Harley-Davidson at Webster Szanyi LLP in Buffalo, including attorneys Steven R. Hamlin and Thomas Shea Lane, have not yet commented on the verdict.
The trial, overseen by Justice Craig J. Doran, began with jury selection on May 21 but faced delays due to unforeseen circumstances. A key expert witness suffered medical issues, postponing trial proceedings until July 22.
Court records reveal that prior to the purchase by Morris, Harley-Davidson had been notified in October 2018 of a software glitch in its three-wheeled models that could cause unexpected activation, affecting the vehicle’s direction and control.
In December 2018, Morris purchased the 2019 model of the Harley-Davidson three-wheeled motorcycle for $36,949. Shortly after, he experienced the critical malfunction first-hand in February 2019 while riding in Florida. The motorcycle’s brakes locked, leading to a severe crash that inflicted significant injuries on Morris and SinClair and extensive damage to the motorcycle.
Even after repairs costing $25,000, Morris faced another terrifying incident in June 2020, under strikingly similar circumstances. This second crash resulted in Morris’s severe injuries and SinClair’s tragic death.
Further complications arose when Morris was notified of a recall a few months after his first accident, confirmed to address the software issues plaguing models including his own. Despite this notification and the subsequent submission of $53,000 in medical bills for reimbursement, Harley-Davidson denied Morris’s claims.
The lawsuit emphasized that the motorcycle was “defective and unreasonably dangerous,” an allegation that the jury’s verdict appeared to uphold given the magnitude of the damages awarded.
The case has captured attention due to its implications for product safety and manufacturer accountability in the automotive and motorcycle industries. As the community and the market alike digest the ramifications of this verdict, many are calling for more rigorous safety standards and oversight to prevent such dangerous malfunctions in the future.