I've kept thinking about this lawsuit for a while and have to say some
things about it trouble me.
All products evolve. when a manufacturer brings out a new product that
is safer than its previous product, does that make its previous product
"defective"? What would be its proper obligation to bring its product up
to a more safe specification?
Does it need to warrant its product to be free of design flaws forever.
Perhaps only to the original purchaser? Should it buy back the thing and
destroy it in order to protect people that choose to drive it on black
ice? Or does it have no continuing liability whatsoever? Or should it
offer upgrades either free or at full or reduced price to those that
wish to put precious cargo in the back!
(This is mostly about lap belts compared to shoulder belts for rear seat
occupants and VW's liability for having not furnished shoulder belts or
possibly a front engine design)
Al Brase

Doug F wrote:

>Good read, a bit "legal" and difficult to translate into English but quite
>interesting.
>
>Making a case that the VW was negligent by putting the engine in the back,
>to me is like saying Harley is negligent for not protecting you on a
>motorcycle or the Mini is negligent for being small.
>
>Goes to show lawyers well make a case against anybody at anytime, about
>anything so long as it makes CASH.
>
>Their claim that VW changed the design to front engine Eurovan because they
>"knew" the rear engine was unsafe displays this in spades. What about the
>911, or Boxster, or any other mid engine sports car like the Ferr, or Lamb,
>Maz all with mid engine, hey thats unsafe and they should be sued for it.
>
>What about "pusher" motorhomes? Greyhound busses.
>
>Gawd.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Geza Polony" <gezapolony@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 7:18 PM
>Subject: No, but here's a good reason to do it
>
>
>
>
>>Grim, but real.
>>
>>http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=98-1812.01A
>>
>>I'm thinking of installing them myself.
>>
>>Let us know how it goes...
>>
>>
>
>
>