Second Chance Body Armor Inc. and Toyobo Co. Ltd.

Vista - In June 2003, rookie cop Tony Zeppetella was shot 13 times after pulling Adrian Camacho over for a routine traffic stop in Oceanside, CA. Thirty-four rounds were exchanged before Camacho, a Mexican citizen who was in the U.S. illegally, fled in Zeppetella's squad car. Zeppetella was wearing a bulletproof vest, but died from gun shot wounds. His widow, Jamie Zeppetella, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Second Chance and Toyobo claiming that if the vest performed as promised, her husband would still be alive. The jury found that Second Chance Body Armor, the maker of the vest, and Toyobo, the Japanese company that supplied the vest's synthetic fibers, were liable for Zeppetella's death because they failed to warn users the vests could deteriorate over time. The jury awarded Jamie a $3.6 million settlement. She was previously awarded a $165,000 settlement from Professional Police Supply Inc. (Sep-07-06) [SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS]

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