Paralyzed officer sues GM, claiming automaker knew police Impala’s roof design was flawed

CLAYTON, Mo. – General Motors knew its police Impalas had “poor roof strength” eight years before Officer Craig Tudor was paralyzed in a rollover accident, according to a lawsuit filed by Tudor.

“GM describes its own car in its internal documents as having poor roof strength,” Tudor’s attorney, Grant Davis, told jurors during opening arguments this week. “GM decided not to spend the money on a complete repair of the 2012 police car roof for financial reasons.”

Tudor was responding to a call in Hazelwood in 2016 with his lights and sirens activated on North Outer Road 270 westbound when a driver crossed the center line and struck his patrol car.

The impact caused Tudor’s car to flip onto its roof.

He was critically injured and paralyzed.

Attorney Michael Cooney, representing General Motors, told jurors that the roof of the automaker’s 2012 Impala police package models exceeded safety standards at the time and did not cause Tudor’s injuries. He told jurors that rollover accidents have been extensively investigated.

“Our necks are designed to support our heads, not the forces of a collision, and that’s how this injury occurs,” he told jurors. “It occurs before a roof collapse even occurs.

“Roof crushing does not contribute to this type of injury.”

This is the third time this case has come to court.

The first trial ended in a mistrial after the jury discussed the case before deliberations began. The second ended with a decision without votes.

That trial is scheduled to last until May 17 in St. Louis County.

The Tudors declined to comment during the trial.