Sacramento Kings Team and Player Agree to Settle Product Liability Raps Raised Against Ball Manufacturer

The Sacramento Kings and its guard / forward player, Francisco Garcia, have finally agreed to settle the product liability lawsuit that they filed against an Italian manufacturer of the exercise ball that exploded and seriously injured the said player, recent reports said.

It could be recalled that on October 9, 2009, while Garcia was balancing on the 75-centimeter ball and lifting weights at the same time, the ball exploded. As a result of which, he fell forcibly on the floor together with the 90-pound weights in each of his hand. Garcia suffered severe injuries including a fractured right forearm.

In the said lawsuit, the NBA team claimed that the manufacturer breached warranty. Therefore it was seeking for more than $4 million in damages, which the team was required to pay while Garcia was unable to play.

Incidentally, due to the accident, Garcia missed four months of his five-year contract extension worth $29.6 million. In addition, early this year, he missed two games after suffering an aggravation of his forearm injury.

Garcia also sought for unspecified damages for physical and mental sufferings together with loss of future earning capacity. Meanwhile, the amount paid by the manufacturer, Ledraplastic S.p.a. to the Kings and Garcia was kept undisclosed.

Nevertheless, a portion of their agreement was revealed in recent news reports. Allegedly, the manufacturer agreed to circulate a letter informing and reminding all distributors and customers that the Gymnic fit balls should be used with body weight alone and never with weights.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles injury lawyer reminds that not all product liability claims come as simple as this case. Usually, the depth of the possible pool of defendants and the complicated nature of proving such claim are the major reason why victims need to have someone to bolster their claim in order to achieve a successful conclusion.