Bloomberg News, "Honeywell loses seat belt verdict; Federal jury in Texas awards $24 million to the family of a teen who was killed in a crash"

          Honeywell International Inc. was ordered by a Texas jury to pay $24 million to the family of an 18-year-old woman who was killed in a sport utility vehicle rollover accident. The family of Lauren Frazier claimed she was killed when a seat belt manufactured by Honeywell failed. Frazier was ejected from a Chevrolet Tahoe she was riding in when it rolled over. She died at the scene, said her family's attorney, who argued the seat belt's buckle unlatched on its own.
          "Honeywell knew since 1989, by doing testing, that it was unlatching and they didn't do anything to prevent it," the attorney said of the seat belt.
          The U.S. District Court jury in Marshall, Texas, awarded Frazier's family $24 million in actual damages Thursday, three days after the trial began. The lawsuit, resulting in a rare victory at trial for plaintiffs in such cases, is one of several hundred against automakers and seat belt manufacturers claiming inertial unlatching of seat belts. The verdict may lead to more settlements, said auto safety advocates.