McGuireWoods Wins Jury Trial for STIHL Incorporated in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas

November 20, 2019

On Nov. 14, a jury in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas returned a defense verdict for McGuireWoods client STIHL Incorporated in a product liability case, Pennington v. Stihl Incorporated, et al., in which the plaintiff alleged that the design of the shoulder straps on a backpack leaf blower manufactured by STIHL was defective and caused his injuries. The jury found that the backpack leaf blower was not defective.

Justin D. Howard, a partner in McGuireWoods’ Products, Environmental & Mass Tort Litigation Department, led the trial team representing STIHL, with assistance from associate Travis Gunn. J. Michael Kunsch of the law firm Sweeney & Sheehan served as local counsel and tried the case with Howard.

“We are grateful to the jurors for their careful consideration throughout the trial,” Howard said. “STIHL is a valued client and our team was proud to represent the company in this matter.”