A newsletter roundup of recent news stories including a consumer lawsuit against Takata, new guidelines for autonomous cars, and a $10 million payment to a wrongly convicted man in LA.

1. NEWS You Can Use
From the Walker Advertising Research Desk 7/27/16
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Courtesy news clipping service provided to clients of Walker Advertising. All material is copyrighted by respective
publications. For copies of complete articles, contact your sales rep or Walker Advertising at 1-800-4WALKER.
1. Takata Settles Airbag Suit, Averting Chief’s Testimony
Adapted from N.Y. Times, 7/16/16
On July 15, airbag manufacturer Takata reached a confidential settlement with Patricia Mincey’s
family, thereby avoiding possible trial testimony by Takata’s chief executive. In a 2014 crash, the airbag
in Mincey’s 2001 Honda Civic airbag deployed forcefully, crushing her spine. The accident left her
quadriplegic. Mincey sued Takata over the crash, alleging Takata knowingly designed and produced
defective and dangerous airbags. She died this year from complications related to her quadriplegia. Her
airbag, along with others, was scheduled for recall days after the accident. Takata had initially resisted
settling her case since the airbag did not rupture. The company’s faulty airbags can rupture in crashes,
spraying the passenger compartment with shrapnel.
2. Autonomous cars will get new U.S. guidelines
Adapted from L.A. Times, 7/20/16
The U.S. Department of Transportation will release new safety guidelines for self-driving cars this
summer, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The announcement follows the fatal crash of a
Tesla Model S sedan that had been on autopilot. While in autopilot mode, the car failed to detect a
crossing truck. Foxx hinted that the new rules involve “pre-market approval steps” for self-driving
technology.
3. Victim’s suit against dealership opens
Adapted from L.A. Daily Journal, 7/19/16
A lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court alleges Fletcher Jones Motor Cars Inc.’s lax privacy policies
and methods allowed mechanic Travis Batten to obtain the address of a victim he later attacked. Batten
was later convicted of raping Karen Summers, and he is currently serving a 107-year prison sentence for
the attack and related charges. Summers is represented by Christopher L. Rudd of The Rudd Law Firm,
P.C. Her complaint alleges negligence and negligent hiring, supervision and/or retention. Summers is
seeking compensation for emotional distress, post-traumatic stress disorder and the loss of income.
Fletcher Jones is represented by attorney Karl Lindegren of Fisher & Phillips LLC.
4. Latinos Seek More Public Scrutiny Of Their Encounters With the Police
Adapted from N.Y. Times, 7/15/16
Some Latino advocates allege police shootings of Latinos do not generate the same amount of public
concern and anger as the fatal police shootings of African-Americans. The number of Latinos killed
annually by police is unknown due to the lack of a federal clearinghouse that tracks police-related
killings. Activists and researchers say multiple factors play into the differing public reactions to fatal
police shootings of Latino and African-Americans, including a lack of organization among Latinos, and
different priorities among the Latino population. Undocumented individuals in particular may be wary
of confronting the authorities for fear of deportation.

2. NEWS You Can Use
From the Walker Advertising Research Desk 7/27/16
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Courtesy news clipping service provided to clients of Walker Advertising. All material is copyrighted by respective
publications. For copies of complete articles, contact your sales rep or Walker Advertising at 1-800-4WALKER.
5. Wrongly jailed man gets $10 million
Adapted from L.A. Times, 7/20/16
On July 19, L.A. County Supervisors agreed to pay $10.1 million to a man who spent 20 years behind
bars before his murder conviction was overturned five years ago. After Francisco Carrillo Jr. was
released from prison, he sued L.A. County and various sheriff’s deputies alleging they had violated his
civil rights. Specifically, Carrillo alleged that deputies improperly influenced witnesses during a photo
lineup and that the deputies belonged to a white supremacist gang inside the sheriff’s department.
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