Instruction Malfunction: Pennsylvania Superior Court Vacates $1B Verdict Due to Faulty Jury Instructions

Preserving objections to jury instructions can be the difference between paying a significant judgment or making a plaintiff prove their case again at trial.

In October 2023, a Philadelphia jury handed down a mammoth $980 million verdict for the plaintiff in Amagasu et al. v. Mitsubishi Motors North America et al., due to an allegedly defective seat belt. The verdict included $800 million in punitive damages. Amagasu et al. v. Fred Beans Family of Dealerships, et al., No. 1594 EDA 2024 (Pa. Super. Ct. Dec. 22, 2025). The presiding judge increased the compensatory portion of the verdict, pushing the total award past $1 billion.