Lightfoot Secures Summary Judgment in Product Liability Case
September 8, 2022
Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC partners Chandler Bailey and Jared Levinthal, along with associate Rachelle Sanchez, obtained summary judgment on behalf of a major vehicle manufacturer client in a complex wrongful death and catastrophic injury case in Oklahoma.
The plaintiffs alleged claims of defective design arising from an automobile accident that occurred involving five federal agents in a 2013 full-size van. Their lawsuit claimed the van was defective and dangerous because it did not come equipped with forward collision alert and/or automatic emergency braking. Lightfoot’s lawyers presented evidence that the vehicle was safe as designed and manufactured. The court agreed and held that the vehicle was not dangerous or defective as a matter of law.
Lightfoot serves as regional trial counsel for its vehicle manufacturer client for automotive product liability cases in eight states across the Southeast. The firm has extensive experience in the defense of sophisticated and complex product liability cases for a range of products, including automobiles, consumer goods, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
Bailey represents product manufacturers and suppliers around the country in high-stakes cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. He has served as national and regional counsel for several of the country’s largest companies, representing them in serious, high-exposure lawsuits in more than 20 states. Bailey has practiced law for nearly 20 years. Benchmark Litigation recognizes him as a “Local Litigation Star” (2017-21).
Based in Lightfoot's Houston office, Levinthal has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of litigation matters for nearly 25 years. He has successfully tried matters, in both arbitration and trial, involving commercial and business issues, product liability, professional malpractice and more. At his previous firm, he was named one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in Houston by Thomson Reuters' Super Lawyers in 2019 and has appeared on its Texas Super Lawyers list since 2013.
Sanchez is a former criminal prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Arizona, where she gained significant trial experience. At Lightfoot, her defense litigation practice focuses on healthcare, product liability and automotive cases.
