New Jersey Woman Sues Volvo After Dog Closes Tailgate on Her Head

New Jersey Woman Sues Volvo After Dog Closes Tailgate on Her Head

After a friend's dog stepped beneath a Volvo and activated the vehicle's automated tailgate closing mechanism, striking her in the head, a Toms River woman is suing Volvo, alleging she suffered traumatic brain injury.

Megan Kohr filed the complaint in Ocean County Superior Court on Friday, claiming that she was injured on October 15, 2023, while hiking in Bergen County with a companion.

According to Kohr, she was a passenger in the car that her friend, who is also a defendant in the case, was driving. The lawsuit claims that the friend owns the dog and works for Volvo.

The friend's dog stepped beneath the bumper, which is where the hands-free sensor is placed, and caused the tailgate to close while the two women were standing close to the back of the Volvo (the lawsuit does not specify which model of Volvo) with the tailgate open after the hike.

According to a doctor's affidavit in the complaint, Kohr suffered a traumatic brain injury when the tailgate struck him in the head as it closed, leaving him with light sensitivity, dizziness, and vision problems.

In addition to requesting unspecified damages for expected ongoing medical treatment, the lawsuit accuses Volvo and Kohr's friend of negligence. It also seeks damages for losses resulting from the plaintiff's inability to work at this time and from the fact that she "has been and will be in the future be disabled and prevented from attending to her necessary affairs and business."