Virginia Family Awarded More Than $14M in Lawsuit

A jury has awarded a Radford, Va., family more than $14 million in a lawsuit against Hyundai after a teenager sustained a brain injury in a 2010 car accident.

A Pulaski Circuit Court jury made the ruling Friday in the suit brought by the parents of Zachary Duncan.

The Roanoke Times reports Duncan was 16 when the 2008 Tiburon he was driving went off a road before striking a tree. His side air bag didn’t deploy.

Family attorney Ari Casper argued air bag sensors in Tiburons from the 2003 to 2008 model years were in the wrong location and didn’t accurately detect when the side air bag should deploy.

Hyundai attorney Harlan Prater testified the victim’s injuries were caused by the roof, and that the car exceeded federal safety standards.