Defending a product liability suit involving a fatal accident carries a host of built-in difficulties. Jurors are inherently sympathetic to the family of the victim and prone to believing what may be 20-20 hindsight and post-incident product criticism. To overcome these hurdles, a strong defense must both delve into the technical details that led to a manufacturer’s decision and highlight those details with clear, powerful language that makes the decision logical. In Emmanuel v. Ford Motor Co., Kevin Schirferl uses his powerful closing argument to persuade that Ford’s design decisions did not cause Jonathan Emmanuel’s death.
