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Products Liability Keyed to Fischer, 6th Ed.
Gnirk v. Ford Motor Co.
Citation:
572 F. Supp. 1201 (1983)Facts
On November 20, 1980, plaintiff Wilma Gnirk was driving her co-owned 1976 Ford L.T.D. with her thirteen-month-old son as a passenger. She stopped the car to open a fence gate, shifting the gear selector into park and leaving the engine running. After exiting the vehicle, leaving her son in the front seat with a seatbelt fastened, the car unexpectedly shifted from park to reverse. The car backed up, struck a post, then moved forward into a stock dam. Plaintiff chased the moving vehicle and made several unsuccessful attempts to enter it. The car became completely submerged in the stock dam with the child inside. Plaintiff, who could not swim, entered the water but was unable to locate the car. She then walked a mile and a half to the nearest farmhouse for help. As a result of this traumatic event, plaintiff alleged she suffered great depression, insomnia, permanent psychological injury, and physical illness.
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