Federal Jury Awards $10 Million Against TASER International for Teenager's Death

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys John Burton and Peter M. Williamson announce that at 2:30 p.m. EDT today, a federal court jury returned a verdict for wrongful death in the amount of $10,000,000.00 against TASER International Inc., for the wrongful death of 17-year-old Darryl Turner, who collapsed and died in a Charlotte, North Carolina supermarket on March 20, 2008, following shocks to the chest from a TASER Model X26 electronic control device.

The jury found that TASER negligently failed to warn that discharging its X26 model ECD into the chest of a subject near the heart poses a substantial risk of cardiac arrest to persons against whom the device is deployed. The plaintiffs are the parents, Devoid Turner and Tammy Lou Fontenot.

The Mecklenburg County medical examiner, Thomas D. Owens, M.D., found no drugs in Turner's system, and reported his heart to be disease free. Accordingly, Dr. Owens attributed death to "agitated state, stress and use of conducted energy device (TASER)."

After the verdict was announced, John Burton, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, explained the importance of the verdict: "TASER has been irresponsible in representing the safety of its products. Hopefully, this verdict will sound the alarm to police officers around the world that firing these weapons into the chests of people should be avoided. No other family should have to endure the tragedy that the Fontenot family has experienced."

The lawsuit is Fontenot v. TASER International, Inc., United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Charlotte Division, Case No. 3:10-CV-125. The jury consisted of five women and three men. United States District Judge Robert Conrad presided.

Plaintiffs' Counsel:

John Burton, Esq.
THE LAW OFFICES OF JOHN BURTON
65 North Raymond Ave, Ste 300
Pasadena, CA 91103
Tel:  626-449-8300/Email:  [email protected]
Web: http://www.johnburtonlaw.com  

Peter M. Williamson, Esq.
WILLIAMSON & KRAUSS
21800 Oxnard Street, Suite 305
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Tel:  818-226-5700/Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.wandklaw.com

Charles A. Everage, Esq.
EVERAGE LAW FIRM, PLLC
1800 Camden Road, Ste. 104
Charlotte, NC 28216
Tel: 704-377-9157/ Email: [email protected]

John F. Baker, Esq.
MAGANA, CATHCART & McCARTHY
1801 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Tel: 310-553-6630
Email: [email protected]
Email:  [email protected]

SOURCE John Burton and Peter M. Williamson