Recorded Webinar—Litigation Rule Relic: The Case for Ending Evidentiary Bans on Motorists’ Failure to Buckle Up

Webinar

***View Recording Below***

Featuring
Doug Lampe, Counsel, Ford Motor Company
Lee Mickus, Partner, Evans Fears & Schuttert LLP
Thomas N. Vanderford, Jr., Associate General Counsel and Executive Director, Litigation, Hyundai Motor America

Description:
Laws in three-quarters of U.S. states prohibit or severely restrict defendants in motor-vehicle-accident jury trials from introducing evidence that injured drivers or passengers had not buckled their seatbelt. Our speakers will explain how these outdated gag rules create inconsistencies in state public policy and inequities for civil litigants. They will also discuss recent reform actions in states such as Louisiana as well as the 2021 legislative landscape.

Speakers' Biographies

Doug Lampe

Doug Lampe is in-house counsel at Ford Motor Company, where he has worked in various capacities since his graduation in 1994 with a joint J.D./M.S.-Finance from the University of Wisconsin. Doug Lampe has global responsibility for all matters in courts of appeal. He is also responsible for aspects of Ford’s product liability litigation, safety and regulatory counseling, and national civil justice reform efforts. Doug has served as President of the Civil Justice Reform Group, Chairman of the American Tort Reform Association, Vice President of Lawyers for Civil Justice, as a Member of the Board of Advisors for the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, and as a board member of several state-based civil justice groups.

Lee Mickus

Lee Mickus is a Partner in the Denver, CO office of Evans Fears & Schuttert LLP. He defends manufacturers and other business interests nationally in product liability and tort lawsuits. He has successfully tried cases to juries in jurisdictions across the country. Lee works with a wide range of products and industries, including automobiles, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and recreational equipment. He has given presentations and submitted comments to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and has testified before several state legislatures on bills affecting a wide range of civil justice issues.

Thomas N. Vanderford, Jr.

Thomas N. Vanderford, Jr. is the Associate General Counsel and Executive Director of Litigation for Hyundai Motor America. He advises Hyundai engineers throughout the world on product safety, product liability prevention, and regulatory compliance. Tom’s professional activities have included leadership positions with the ABA Litigation Section, including vice-chair of the ABA's Product Liability Committee. He is a member of the Product Liability Advisory Council (Member, Board of Directors, 2010-2014), Defense Research Institute, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, International Association of Defense Counsel, and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Tom is also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Tort Reform Association and is a member of the Liability Reform Advisory Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's National Chamber Litigation Center.