BMW has officially lost its years-long battle to overturn a jury’s decision that awarded a man $1.9 million after the soft-close door on his X5 partially sliced off the tip of his thumb. After almost a decade of arguments, appeals, and courtroom back-and-forth, this case has finally reached its end. The automaker now has to pay.
Back in July 2016, New York resident Godwin Boateng was resting his hand on the door pillar of his 2013 BMW X5 with the door slightly open. As the door swung in, the soft-close feature activated. Instead of gently pulling the door shut, it caught his thumb and severed the top of it.
BMW inspected the SUV and said nothing was wrong with the mechanism. They argued that anyone should know not to put their hand where a door closes. Boateng disagreed and sued, saying the lack of a warning and lack of safety sensors made the feature dangerous. He also said the injury could cost him up to $3 million in future earnings.
The case finally went to trial in mid-2024. The jury sided with Boateng and awarded him $1.9 million. That included money for pain and suffering, future pain and suffering, and lost earnings.
BMW then tried to get a new trial, but the district court said no. The company appealed again, hoping the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit would overturn the verdict. That attempt failed too.
The appeals court said BMW had engaged in “deceptive omission” by not warning customers that the soft-close system could trap a hand and cause serious injury. They agreed with the jury and refused to reopen the case.
With this ruling, the long legal fight is officially over. BMW now has to pay nearly $2 million for an injury caused by one of its luxury SUV’s convenience features.