Racer’s Widow OKs Settlement in Helmet Case
The wife of an amateur auto racer who was killed in a road-rally accident in Europe agreed to a $100,000 settlement Tuesday after an Orange County jury deadlocked on whether the company that manufactured the helmet he was wearing was at fault.
Hallveig Sveinsdottir, of Reykjavik, Iceland, had sought $1.9 million to $2.4 million from Simpson Sports, Simpson Safety Equipment Inc. and E.J. Simpson Co. of Torrance for the death of her husband, Hafstein Hauksson.
Hauksson, 28, a well-known amateur road racer in Iceland, was killed in 1984 while competing in the National Breakdown Rally in Scarborough, England, according to Sveinsdottir’s attorney, Randolph Hammock.
Claimed Design Defective
Sveinsdottir’s lawsuit claimed that Simpson Sports was negligent because the helmet her husband wore during the race was defectively designed.
During the two-week trial, the company offered photographs and a videotape of the accident that it said showed Hauksson died when his car struck a tree, which caused the roof to crush him, according to Ric Ottaino, the helmet manufacturer’s attorney.
A 12-member jury deliberated for seven days before announcing to Orange County Superior Court Judge James A. Jackman Tuesday that they were split 6 to 6 on the verdict.
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