This is a classic example of the auto industry covering up a known defect in the hopes that it would not be discovered. Unfortunately, this unreported defect took the life of a young man and left loving parents mourning the death of their son.

Government agencies do not have the money or manpower needed to effectively police the U.S. auto industry. As a result, dangerous vehicles are allowed to enter the marketplace. In this case, the vehicle had done poorly on crash tests yet was allowed to go on the market. Then, Mitsubishi replaced the model halfway through the year without communicating the defect to the thousands of people who owned the earlier model. Product liability cases such as this are the only way to force the auto industry to change.

This is an unfortunate decision for American consumers. Total immunity is the last thing you want to give corporate giants with deep pockets. Our legal system is designed to hold people and corporations accountable for their wrongdoings. The Court’s decision has created a slippery slope toward eroding our fundamental and necessary system of checks and balances.

I fear this decision will only motivate large corporations to politicize the FDA by seeking approval of known dangerous medical devices in order to get immunity from personal injury lawsuits. I also predict that pharmaceutical corporations will soon petition the courts for a more expansive interpretation of this decision to include corporate immunity from personal injury lawsuits derived from prescription drug injuries or deaths. History has shown that the FDA does not always approve safe drugs.