WASHINGTON-Chrysler Corp. has lost its appeal over an $18.7 million award to the inventor of electronic intermittent windshield wipers. The Supreme Court denied the appeal, reported Automotive News, and let stand lower court rulings that awarded Robert Kearns the damages after a jury determined Chrysler infringed on three of his four patents.
The case began in 1982 when Mr. Kearns filed similar lawsuits against each Big Three automaker. He eventually reached an out-of-court settlement with the Ford Motor Co.