Jury Says Companies Not Liable in Mower Accident

An Oregon jury has decided that John Deere and a local distributor are not liable for a 2006 accident that amputated the leg of a toddler.

The Lane County jury reached the verdict Thursday after 10 days of testimony and eight hours of deliberation.

Jurors voted 9-3 to reject arguments by attorneys for now 6-year-old Isabelle Norton. The girl's attorneys were seeking more than $11 million in damages.

They argued John Deere had created and sold a defective and unreasonably dangerous product, and that the company and local distributor were negligent in their marketing and selling of the riding lawnmower.

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com

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