Man Sues BMW After X5’s Automatic Soft-Closing Door Cut Off His Thumb

[mirob]

Obviously a scam. How does the SCAD pull the door close with "approximately one-foot ajar?" I hope he severed his thumb for nothing...dumb f...

For some people, buying a $70,000 BMW X5 can be a dream come true, unless that dream turns into a nightmare, spurred on by one of the car’s pricey options.

Godwin Boateng, a resident of Long Island, NY, ended up having to carry his severed thumb into the emergency room after his BMW X5’s SCAD sensor (Soft Closing Automatic Doors) activated the electric motor and shut the driver’s door on top of his thumb. After inspecting the finger, doctors concluded that it could not be reattached.

According to his Brooklyn federal suit, Boateng was out to meet a friend for dinner on July 6, 2016 and was standing outside his BMW SUV with his right hand rested on the driver’s door column, as reported by the NY Post.

“With the front driver’s door approximately one-foot ajar, the SCAD [Soft Closing Automatic Doors] sensor activated the electric motor, which pulled the driver’s door firmly, and not ‘so softly’ snapped through the flesh, nerves, blood vessels, tendons, musculature and bone structure of Boateng’s right thumb,” claims the suit, which also accuses BMW of knowing SCAD had faulty sensors, yet didn’t do anything to warn customers.

The man also claims that even after two surgeries, his hand remains swollen and he sometimes needs to wear a fake finger due to pain.

“Sometimes it feels like someone is putting knives in there. It’s painful beyond believe,” he said, while also revealing that since he’s right-handed, he can struggle with performing basic tasks like fastening buttons on shirts, tying his shoes and typing.

Boateng, who at first was excited to have a feature such as SCAD on his car, is suing BMW for unspecified damages, while the German automaker’s legal council declined to comment on the matter.

Per Carscoops:
https://www.carscoops.com/2018/03/ma...cut-off-thumb/

[Maynard]

He may be scamming to get BMW to pay for an injury he got elsewhere, but crushing your thumb off is not something anybody is likely to pull off on their own, especially somebody named Godwin Boateng.

But if I had this [most useless] feature, and kids, I'd probably want to trial it on something soft to be sure it actually has a working safety cutoff.

[Bluesummer]

tl;dr. A grown man who puts his hand at the door column and got his thumb chopped off later claims that the door's design is at fault.

[Performancedieselpros]

I'm a Nigerian Prince and want to send you money lol......

What's your account to wire the money to.

[DanG]

If you have seen the pictures, he lost the tip of his thumb only. The whole article makes it sound much worse than it actually was. But the story is pretty unbelievable.

[Performancedieselpros]

As she says.....
Just the tip!

[King Rudi]

^beat me to it!

[Darth One]

i'm sure there are disgruntled customers that would like to give BMW the finger, but this guy actually did it

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by Maynard

But if I had this [most useless] feature...

Don't knock it till you try it. One of my favorite mods I did to my car was adding Bimmertech's soft close kit.

[xander_g]

You wouldn't believe the kind of stories I hear everyday from people who think they are entitled to compensation for injuries caused by their own stupidity/negligence.

[MalibuBimmer]

In order for the feature to work, the door has to be partially closed. If this guy really asserts that the door was open a foot and then closed itself from that point, BMW should be able to prove easily that this is mechanically impossible.

Strange claim. Some strange claims are real. This one sounds like bullshit.

[mkoesel]

Sounds like perhaps someone (him, for example) or something (a wind gust, for example) closed the door enough to engage the SCAD feature. He may genuinely believe that the feature activated on its own accord and with the door open as far as it was, but that does not stand up to basic reasoning.

Now whether the system's sensors should have detected the resistance his thumb would have given is another question. I suppose there are two parts to that - was it designed to protect a person from such a case, and if not, should it have been? As usual, lawyers will have plenty to argue about.

[joeinsd]

I thought for SCAD to work, the door would have had to already been "locked" in, then it just pulls it shut? It's difficult to believe that SCAD works with the door ajar, especially at 1ft out??

[jgoens]

Originally Posted by Performancedieselpros

As she says.....
Just the tip!

Yeah, what if it was the other tip?

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by jgoens

Yeah, what if it was the other tip?

Well, if you are standing outside your car waiting for someone with that tip resting on the door frame, then I'd say you are probably more than just a little bit liable, certainly tempting fate for no easily explainable reason, and might just be asking for the punishment.

[xander_g]

Originally Posted by joeinsd

I thought for SCAD to work, the door would have had to already been "locked" in, then it just pulls it shut? It's difficult to believe that SCAD works with the door ajar, especially at 1ft out??

That's what I thought as well. The story doesn't make sense, sounds like some facts are missing.

[pz619]

Reminds me of this: https://jalopnik.com/this-guy-used-a...ben-1411831631

[uniqueMR]

[yco]

actually before soft closing system that gap is not that big not to squeeze your finger already.. i hope soon on every door on cars they wont put a sign saying your finger get hurt or something..

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by mirob

Obviously a scam. How does the SCAD pull the door close with "approximately one-foot ajar?" I hope he severed his thumb for nothing...dumb f...




Per Carscoops:
https://www.carscoops.com/2018/03/ma...cut-off-thumb/

I stopped after reading his name. With a name like Godwin Boateng you got to be one hell of a douche.

[DDD31]

Originally Posted by joeinsd

I thought for SCAD to work, the door would have had to already been "locked" in, then it just pulls it shut? It's difficult to believe that SCAD works with the door ajar, especially at 1ft out??

I have SCAD on my car and it only pulls the door shut once it's latched. There's no way it pulled it shut being open 1 ft.

This guy is full of Boateng.

[TomHudson]

Two thumbs up for modern tech...

Oh, wait....