By now, everyone in the Bay Area should be familiar with the case of Dax Pierson--keyboard player for Anticon offshoot Subtle, Amoeba record employee, and all around laid-back individual. Back in 2005, Pierson and the band were rolling through deep red state territory--Iowa--when the band's tour van hit a patch of black ice.

Unluckiness turned to tragedy in the moments that followed. The van rolled. Pierson's seat came loose. He slammed headfirst onto the roof, instantly paralyzing him. No one else in the car sustained more than a bump or a bruise.

Pierson sued Ford for faulty design mechanics, arguing that the defective seat contributed to his life-threatening injuries. The automaker denied that claim, blaming excessive speed for the near-fatal accident. On Wednesday, as reported in the Chron, a jury of 12 sided with Pierson, awarding him a total of 18.3 million dollars for medical expenses, pain, and suffering.


Read more at
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2009/05/dax_pierson_awarded_18m_in_set.php