Automobiles

HELPING YOU DRIVE TOWARD SUCCESS

The automotive industry deals with a wide variety of challenges, including those to an automobile’s design, manufacturing, testing, warnings and instructions, insurance, and warranty. Our attorneys have a comprehensive understanding of the automobile industry and its complexities, and we have litigated cases for numerous manufacturers across the United States. We have successfully defended claims involving handling and stability, airbags, tires, transmissions, seatbelt and child restraints, crashworthiness, door latches, fuel systems, warranty claims, and lemon laws. 

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • EFSMM attorneys were lead trial counsel for an automobile manufacturer defending wrongful death lawsuit alleging roof crush and rollover stability defects in an SUV. After a 3-month trial in San Bernardino County, California, the jury found that the vehicle had no defects.
  • EFSMM attorneys were lead trial counsel in a consumer warranty lawsuit alleging substantially impairing nonconformities in a new sports car. Plaintiff alleged willful violation of California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and sought significant civil penalties. A Los Angeles County, California jury found that the manufacturer did not commit any willful violation and awarded zero civil penalty.
  • EFSMM attorneys were trial counsel defending an overseas automobile manufacturer in a rollover product liability lawsuit. A Wood County, Texas, jury returned a defense verdict after just 41 minutes.
  • EFSMM attorneys have been lead trial counsel for many automobile product liability lawsuits alleging defects ranging from rollover stability, crashworthiness, and seat belts. Our attorneys have obtained defense verdicts in venues across the country spanning from Clark County, Nevada; Washoe County, Nevada; Dallas County, Texas; Bronx County, New York and U.S. District Courts for Puerto Rico and California to name a few. These cases have alleged multiple-fatalities, spinal cord injuries, and other severe injuries in sedans, trucks and popular SUVs.

Contact a Team Leader

For more information regarding Defense of Automobile Manufacturers, please contact our team leaders Lee Mickus, Elizabeth McNulty and Jay Schuttert.

Elizabeth V. McNulty

Position: Partner
Phone: +1-949-339-5026
Email: emcnulty@efsmmlaw.com
Categories: Automobiles, Commercial Litigation, Employment Litigation, Product Liability
Location: Irvine
Elizabeth V. McNulty defends manufacturers in diverse industries such as automobiles, motorcycles and off-road vehicles, sports equipment, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, recreational and towing products, construction and industrial equipment, and other consumer products in complex catastrophic injury and fatality litigation. She defends class action and mass tort claims, relating to a variety of consumer products, in both federal and state courts. In addition, she oversees national and regional counsel defense programs put in place to manage repetitive litigation involving design, manufacture, and warnings defect claims. In her regulatory and environmental practice, Elizabeth defends clients against Proposition 65, asbestos, toxic tort and other environmental exposure claims. She regularly works on behalf of her clients with state and federal environmental agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Consumer Product Safety Commission, the California EPA, Department of Toxic Substance Control, OEHHA, and the Southern California Air Quality Management Board. She provides compliance advice and program management guidance for the ever-changing state, national, and international chemical and toxin regulations including the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the Lacey Act, California’s Proposition 65, California’s Green Chemistry Initiative, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and other related federal and state regulatory issues. Elizabeth also has substantial experience in defending employment litigation matters including those focusing on harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination as well as commercial litigation involving breach of contract, business-related torts, breach of warranty, covenants not to compete, and confidentiality issues.

Elizabeth V. McNulty

Partner

Elizabeth V. McNulty defends manufacturers in diverse industries such as...

Lee Mickus

Position: Partner
Phone: +1-303-656-2199
Email: lmickus@efsmmlaw.com
Categories: Appeals, Automobiles, Commercial Litigation, Discovery, Mass & Toxic Torts, Product Liability
Location: Denver

Lee Mickus defends manufacturers and other business interests in product liability and tort lawsuits around the country, guiding cases through the discovery, trial, and appeal stages. He has successfully tried cases to juries in Colorado, Texas, California, New York, Puerto Rico, Montana, and several other states. Lee has handled cases involving a wide variety of industries and products, including automobiles, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, industrial machinery, wine, and recreational equipment. Lee has made court appearances, argued appeals, and submitted amicus briefs in numerous jurisdictions across the country.

Lee Mickus

Partner

Lee Mickus defends manufacturers and other business interests in product...

Jay J. Schuttert

Position: Partner
Phone: +1-702-805-0216
Email: jschuttert@efsmmlaw.com
Categories: Automobiles, Commercial Litigation, Mass & Toxic Torts, Medical Devices & Pharmaceuticals, Product Liability
Location: Las Vegas

Jay J. Schuttert is a go-to trial lawyer whose lead and co-lead trial experience includes numerous jury trials in federal and state courts in Nevada and around the country for product manufacturers and corporations, involving claims of serious illness, catastrophic injury and/or wrongful death. As a founder of EFSMM, Jay’s practice is primarily focused on defending product liability matters for manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automobiles, motorcycles, consumer/recreational products, and industrial equipment. Jay also handles premises liability, vehicle/trucking collisions, medical malpractice, commercial disputes, and employment matters. 

Jay J. Schuttert

Partner

Jay J. Schuttert is a go-to trial lawyer whose lead...