Court Upholds $1.65-Million Award to Injured Driver

SANTA ANA — The state Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a $1.65-million verdict to a former Westminster woman who contended that defects in her 1982 Chevrolet Camaro contributed to serious injuries she suffered in a 1984 collision, her attorney said.

The decision, which focused on the state’s consumer expectation test, comes almost 11 years after Terri F. Soule’s left ankle was crushed in a Westminster traffic accident, forcing her to leave a full-time job as a bookkeeper.

“Terry Soule has waited so long and is finally going to be able to care for herself,” said her attorney, Frank P. Barbaro. With interest on the original award, she will receive close to $2.4 million, he said.

“She’s been living in board and care homes and now her life will change dramatically,” Barbaro said.

An Orange County Superior Court jury in 1990 decided in favor of Soule, who was 49 at the time, in her lawsuit against General Motors Corp. Her attorney had argued that during the collision with another car, welding weaknesses in her Camaro allowed the left-front tire to push up the floorboard, causing her injuries. Barbaro had also contended that the car did not “crush” properly on impact.

Attorneys for General Motors could not be reached for comment late Thursday. The company disputed the defects during the trial and argued that Soule was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.