An Illinois judge has dismissed with prejudice a class action lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz for the unexpected shattering of sunroofs.
On June 14, 2020, Bruce Pickens filed suit against Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, Saint-Gobain Sekurit and Napleton Autowerks of Indiana Inc. on behalf of himself and all other Mercedes-Benz owners in a similar situation.
U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin dismissed Pickens’ case with prejudice on November 1, because Pickens’ 21 claims against the automaker were not adequately pleaded.
Among Pickens’ claims were allegations that the automaker “failed to adequately warn against the negative effects and risks associated with Mercedes-Benz’s vehicles” and failure to provide warnings for the potential of the sunroof to shatter, court documents state. Pickens also alleged that the automaker omitted, concealed and inadequately provided critical safety information.
Pickens, a resident of Glenwood, Ill., owned a 2015 ML 350 Mercedes-Benz, which he purchased from Napleton Autowerks of Indiana, Inc. in Schererville, Ind. His sister, Jawanna Tallie, was driving his Mercedes-Benz on the morning of March 3, 2020 at approximately 55 mph when “she heard a big boom as loud as a gunshot,” according to court documents. Tallie pulled the car over to inspect what had happened. When she got back inside the vehicle, glass from the sunroof began to fall on her and into the vehicle.
Neither Tallie nor Pickens were injured in the incident. Pickens’ lawsuit alleged that he “sustained and will continue to sustain emotional and mental distress and anxiety.”
