LA Woman Awarded $24M after Crash Collapses Her Car Seat

Los Angeles - A Los Angeles woman was awarded 24-million dollars following a crash that left her a paraplegic when her car seat collapsed.

FOX 11 News' Al Naipo spoke with Jaklin Romine about the verdict and her future.

Story Script:

JAKLIN ROMINE, INJURED DRIVER
IT'S A LOT MORE THAN I IMAGINED.

A 24 MILLION DOLLAR JUDGEMENT... THAT'S THE AMOUNT A PASADENA JURY BELIEVES A CAR SEAT MANUFACTURER OWES JAKLIN ROMINE.

JOHNSON CONTROLS BUILT ROMINE'S CAR SEAT THAT COLLAPSED DURING A REAR-END COLLISION IN 2006.

JAKLIN ROMINE, INJURED DRIVER
IT WILL HELP ME GET FULL TIME CARE WHICH IS WHAT I NEED THAT I DON'T HAVE NOW. IT WILL HELP ME PAY FOR SCHOOL AND HELP ME GET A CAR THAT I CAN DRIVE MYSELF.

JAKLIN IS IN A WHEELCHAIR NOW, PARALYZED FROM THE CHEST DOWN.

JAKLIN ROMINE, INJURED DRIVER
A COMPLETE SHOCK AND I HAD NO IDEA HOW HARD I'D BEEN HIT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

JAKLIN WAS THROWN FORWARD. HER SEAT BELT CAUGHT HER, BUT THEN HER BODY WAS THRUST BACK AND HER SEAT BROKE.

SHE WAS THROWN INTO THE BACK, HIT HER HEAD, AND BROKE HER NECK IN FOUR PLACES.

JAKLIN ROMINE, INJURED DRIVER
I'VE NEVER BEEN OFFERED ANY KIND OF HOPE FOR ME BEING ABLE TO WALK AGAIN.

HER ATTORNEY SAYS THE AWARD SENDS A CLEAR SIGNAL TO THE COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SEAT'S DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE.

BRIAN CHASE, ATTORNEY
MY CLIENT DIDN'T WALK AWAY BECAUSE JOHNSON CONTROLS MADE A DEFECTIVE AND INHERENTLY WEAK SEAT.

OTHER SEATS HAVE FAILED IN MUCH THE SAME WAY WITH EVEN FAR WORSE RESULTS.

FOR JAKLIN, DAILY LIFE IS A STRUGGLE. SHE MISSES HER INDEPENDENCE AND HER PRIVACY.

GONE NOW IS THE ANGER, BUT NOT THE FRUSTRATION.

JAKLIN ROMINE, INJURED DRIVER
I'VE COME TO A PLACE WHERE I CAN'T SAY I'M HAPPY WITH THIS BUT I DEAL WITH IT AS BEST AS I CAN.