A California appeals court has unanimously overturned a $160 million jury verdict against Suzuki Motor Corporation in a long-running product liability case tied to alleged front brake failure on a GSX-R600 motorcycle. The ruling orders a new trial with a narrower scope that excludes punitive damages, marking the second time an appellate panel has reversed a verdict in the same case.
Highlights
- The California Court of Appeal reversed the compensatory and punitive damages verdict awarded to plaintiff Thomas Joseph Soulliere and remanded the case for retrial.
- Punitive damages — which accounted for $150 million of the original $160 million award — will not be included in the new trial.
- The appellate panel found the trial court committed reversible error by excluding testimony from the investigating officer, who reported that Soulliere’s brakes “locked up” after the crash.
- The case stems from a June 2013 crash involving a 2009 GSX-R600 subject to NHTSA Recall 13V402000, which covered more than 210,000 motorcycles across three GSX-R model lines.
Evidentiary Exclusion at the Center of the Reversal
The appellate court’s April 9, 2026, decision identified a specific evidentiary error as the basis for reversal. The trial court had excluded testimony from the investigating officer who documented that Soulliere’s brakes locked up following the crash. The appeals panel concluded that this evidence was directly relevant to the defense because brake lock-up is inconsistent with the recall condition — a gradual loss of braking pressure caused by corrosion inside the front master cylinder.
By barring that testimony, the trial court limited Suzuki’s ability to challenge the plaintiff’s causation theory. The Court of Appeal determined that this exclusion constituted reversible error, requiring a new trial to ensure the jury has access to the full factual record.
A Case with a Long Legal History
The Soulliere litigation has cycled through California courts for more than a decade. The underlying crash occurred on June 8, 2013, in Huntington Beach, when Soulliere alleged that the front brake on his 2009 GSX-R600 failed as he attempted to avoid an SUV. A first trial in 2018 resulted in an $8 million verdict, including $6 million in punitive damages and $2 million in compensatory damages. That verdict was reversed on appeal in December 2020, with the Court of Appeal similarly finding that excluded officer testimony was improperly withheld from the jury.
A second trial produced the substantially larger $160 million verdict — approximately $11 million in compensatory damages and $150 million in punitive damages. That award has now also been reversed, with the appellate court further ruling that punitive damages should not be part of any retrial. The court also ordered Soulliere to reimburse Suzuki for its appellate costs.
The GSX-R Master Cylinder Recall
The recall at the center of this litigation, NHTSA Campaign 13V402000, affected 2004–2013 GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 models as well as 2005–2013 GSX-R1000 motorcycles. The defect involved non-uniform surface treatment on the brake piston inside the front master cylinder. Over time, moisture absorbed by the brake fluid could corrode the piston, generating gas that reduced hydraulic pressure. The resulting symptoms were a gradual “spongy” brake lever feel and extended stopping distances — not the sudden, complete failure alleged by the plaintiff.
Suzuki told NHTSA the problem was first reported from Germany in 2009 but was not reproduced until October 2012. The recall was formally announced in late 2013. The Soulliere case and related GSX-R litigation in Georgia have been central to an ongoing legal debate over whether the recall condition can cause sudden brake failure or only a gradual degradation of braking performance.
Suzuki’s Response and Legal Teams
Suzuki Motor USA issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the ruling, stating that the company agrees with the appellate court’s finding that the excluded evidence should have been admitted. The company said it maintains that Soulliere’s claims lack merit and looks forward to a retrial consistent with the decision.
Appellate counsel for Suzuki included Lisa Perrochet, John A. Taylor Jr., and Curt Cutting of Horvitz & Levy LLP. Trial counsel included Randy Riggs and Jeff Mortier of FBT Gibbons, Jordan Tabak of Bowman and Brooke, and Kat Carrington of Burr & Forman. Soulliere was represented on appeal by Benjamin Siminou of Singleton Schreiber and at trial by Gabe Houston of Gordon & Partners and Robert T. Simon, Travis Davis, and Tom Feher of The Simon Law Group.
The GSX-R brake recall has also generated separate product liability litigation that resulted in a defense verdict for Suzuki in a 2023 Fullerton trial involving a different plaintiff and a GSX-R1000.
The case now returns to the trial court for further proceedings.
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