A man who is paralyzed due to an incident involving a violently jerking earth scraper recovered $25 million. In 2006, Alfonzo Lopez, then 38, was operating a Caterpillar tractor-scraper when the 80,000-machine began to jolt up and down. He sustained spinal fractures that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Lopez blamed Caterpillar, alleging the scraper's transmission system had faulty gear sensors. He said dozens of warranty claims from 2002 to 2009 showed Caterpillar scrapers moving against operator commands or shifting on their own. Lopez claimed Caterpillar was aware of the problem, but opted not to fix it because of the cost. He also sued Holt Texas Ltd., which had a mechanic at his job site, for negligent maintenance. The defendants denied the allegations, arguing Lopez initially said he hit a bump or rough terrain while operating the scraper. The jury found Caterpillar 90 percent and Holt 10 percent negligent. It awarded Lopez and his wife $56 million in damages, which was reduced due to statutory caps.
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