The ruling follows a motion by Eglet Law, which argued that defense counsel committed over 130 violations of pretrial evidentiary orders during the initial proceedings. Judge Newberry criticized lead defense attorney Michael Cooney for misstating the record and substituting expert testimony with improper argument, concluding that no curative instructions could remedy the damage done to the trial’s integrity. The court further noted that a GM corporate representative observed the proceedings without intervening.

Allie Mead’s case stems from an August 2018 accident in which she was a passenger in a 1998 Chevrolet truck. The vehicle collided with a tree and a boulder, and the two-point lap belt failed to secure her, resulting in a fractured spine, ruptured colon, and lasting psychological trauma. Attorney Robert Eglet described the restraint as a weapon that caused catastrophic injuries rather than preventing them. A new trial date has yet to be scheduled, but the court’s decision clears the path for the evidence to be heard again without the influence of the conduct cited by the judge.