During a long road trip Tami Martin reclined her seat back as far it could go and it changed her life forever.
"I thought I'd be married. I thought I'd have children, but everything changed just like that," Martin said.
An auto accident severely injured Tami Martin which has caused her to spend the last six years in a wheelchair.
Then 28 years old, Tami was riding in her mother's van, relaxed and reclined in the passenger seat, when their Ford Windstar struck a vehicle stopped in front of them.
A Florida jury awarded Martin $17 million in personal injury damages, saying Ford knew of the dangers of riding in a reclined position when seat belts cannot function, but did not properly warn of the dangers.
Martin said she has offered to give half of the money back, if Ford will put warning labels on sun visors next to the warnings about airbags. She said if she can get that done, being in her current condition will take on new meaning.
A Ford spokesperson commented on the lawsuit saying, "this was a tragic accident caused when the driver fell asleep at the wheel and drove into a parked ambulance. The air bag deployed as it should have, but the passenger was reclined in her seat with her feet resting on the dashboard."
Martin said she plans on taking her safety crusade all the way to Congress. She hopes to one day get the message out standing on her own two feet.
Safety experts involved in the case explained reclining the seat is safe as long as the shoulder portion of the safety belt is still in contact with the person's body.
Reference:
"Jacksonville Jury Awards $17 Million in Reclining Seat Case," news4jax.com, November 2005.
