In June 2020, a driver died and another was injured while riding a Harley-Davidson tricycle near the New York-Pennsylvania border. At the time, the victim’s family and the survivor blamed the vehicle’s traction control system for the fatal accident.
Harold Morris, who had previously been the president of the Harley Owners Group in Batavia, was the one who sustained serious injuries. The deceased was his partner and housemate, Pamela SinClair.
Following the incident, the legal representatives of those involved sued Harley-Davidson, attributing the accident to a defect in the traction control system. The case has recently seen developments.
According to The Buffalo News, a jury in Livingston County concluded about a week ago that the manufacturer was indeed responsible, awarding a total of $287 million in damages – which will have to be paid by Harley-Davidson. It was proven that Harley-Davidson had shortcut its way to market its trikes models, particularly concerning the traction control system. And, in fact, Harold Morris received a recall notice due to the system software shortly after the accident.
However, Harold Morris clarified that the lawsuit was not primarily about the money: ‘The money is great, don’t get me wrong. But the main reason for the lawsuit was that we wanted to hold Harley-Davidson responsible. I would not want any other Harley owner to go through what I have over the past four years’.
From Harley-Davidson’s side, lawyer Mark Kircher stated that there is an intention to appeal the decision: ‘All I am authorized to tell you is that Harley-Davidson respectfully disagrees with the verdict and is planning to appeal’.