PETERSON v. STA-RITE INDUSTRIES
A teenage boy was trapped underwater by the suction of a pool pump and nearly drowned. The jury found that product defects in the P2R single-horse-power suction pump, manufactured and distributed by Sta-Rite Industries, Inc, was responsible for the accident causing the victim to suffer irreversible brain damage. It was found that the pump was unsafe and that Sta-Rite Industries made no effort to change its design to make it less dangerous or to warn distributors about risks it created for swimmers. The $104 Million Verdict is the largest single personal injury jury verdict awarded in Florida’s History.
