Parents File Lawsuit against General Motors and the School District after Their Daughter was killed in a Vehicle Accident

Car accidents can result in even more serious injuries when the vehicles may not have been properly tested by their manufacturers. the parents of fifteen Skylar Carpenter filed a Tennessee Auto Accident lawsuit against General Motors and her school district after Skylar was killed in a motor vehicle accident in February of 2011. According to the lawsuit, she was a passenger in a 2007 Chevrolet Suburban driven by school teacher Debra Holcombe, along with five other students, who were on their way to an FFA competition in San Antonio. Holcombe was traveling south when she lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road multiple times and skidded into the culvert before becoming airborne and flipping several times.

According to the lawsuit, Skylar Carpenter’s parents are claiming that General Motors was negligent in their design, manufacture, and assembly, marketing and testing of the 2007 Chevrolet Suburban calling it “unreasonably dangerous and defective.” The lawsuit also claims that General Motors knew the vehicle failed to provide adequate occupant protection in a rollover, failed to provide adequate restraint throughout the entire accident, and violated the principles of crash worthiness by not providing proper restraint and by not preventing ejection, and for failing to conduct adequate testing or proper engineering analysis. Also, the lawsuit claims that side airbag failed to perform as designed because it became stuck or ensnared on the curtain rod, it failed to provide ejection mitigation, failed to provide proper restraint, failed to prevent ejection and the seat belt buckle failed to provide proper restraint and unlatched which rendered other safety systems ineffective. The lawsuit states that Skylar was properly restrained but the restraint system failed to protect her as she was ejected from the vehicle.

The lawsuit against the school district claims that the accident would not have occurred had Debra Holcombe, employed by the school district, not been negligent. This lawsuit claims that unknown reasons caused Holcombe to lose control of the vehicle which resulted in Skylar’s death. Both lawsuits are seeking damages for disfigurement, physical and emotional pain, torment, mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of care, maintenance, support, services, advice, counsel, loss of companionship and society, loss of consortium, medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses, interest and court costs.

Auto accidents resulting in serious personal injuries or even death unfortunately happen every day all across the country and even to the residents of Tennessee. If you or someone you care about has been seriously injured as the result of some type of auto accident, then we recommend you contact one of our compassionate and experienced Tennessee car accident lawyer immediately. We care about our clients and will hear your case and work with you to see to it that you receive the compensation you need.