BMW Faces Trial by Man Alleging Automatic Door Severed Thumb

BMW of North America LLC and related companies must face trial on claims that a defective automatic door severed a man’s thumb, after a federal court in New York found unresolved fact questions on the alleged design defect, the adequacy of the carmaker’s warnings, and how the accident happened.

Godwin Boateng said he was exiting from the driver’s side door of his 2013 BMW X5 on a narrow residential street when he stepped back toward the car to avoid an oncoming vehicle. His back was to the door and his dominant right hand was behind him.

Without warning, the door ...