BMW to compensate customer $19 million for hand injury caused by X5 model

According to the New York Post, the incident happened in 2016. At that time, Mr. Godwin Boateng, a software engineer in the U.S., was using his right hand to close the door of his BMW X5. His thumb was caught at the edge of the door, which was closed automatically by the door's motor.

Mr. Boateng quickly went to the hospital for emergency treatment. However, the doctors stated that his thumb was severely injured, with the tip completely detached and unable to be reattached. Mr. Boateng later filed a lawsuit against the German car manufacturer, but it took 8 years of legal battles before he finally achieved victory.

Mr. Boateng describes how the BMW X5's door trapped and severed the tip of his right thumb (Photo: New York Post).

According to Mr. Boateng's lawyer, since the accident, he has been unable to engage in sports such as tennis, and has had to adapt to using tools and writing. Despite undergoing numerous major and minor surgeries, Mr. Boateng still cannot use his right thumb to type on a computer.

This has affected his income, as his main profession is as a software engineer. Mr. Boateng estimates that since the accident, he has lost approximately $250,000 per year due to the loss of his ability to work.

In addition to physical injuries, Mr. Boateng's mental health has also been affected as he often has to hide his right hand in his pocket in public out of embarrassment, according to his lawyer (Photo: New York Post).

In his lawsuit, Mr. Boateng argued that the design of the BMW's door posed significant risks to users, as it was not equipped with sensors to detect obstructions like windows.

Regarding BMW's response, the German automaker conducted an inspection of Mr. Boateng's X5 and concluded that there were no technical faults in the door system. Users were also advised in the user manual not to place their hand or any object near a closing door.

After reviewing the evidence and hearing arguments from all parties involved, the arbitration board did not find BMW guilty of a technical fault as claimed by Mr. Boateng's lawsuit. However, the board held BMW responsible for Mr. Boateng's accident, imposing a penalty of $1.9 million (over 48 billion VND).

Despite denying that the design of the doors on models like the X5 constituted a technical fault, BMW admitted during the investigation that there were at least 44 incidents worldwide related to door accidents in 2016.