HOUSTON. July 10, 2026 – Beck Redden secured an over $2.3 million jury verdict on behalf of Jake Austin Guarino and his parents in a products liability case involving a defective synthetic turf field installed at a local high school outside of Austin, Texas.

The case centered on allegations that Defendant FieldTurf USA, Inc. manufactured, marketed, and sold a defective synthetic turf product containing prematurely degrading fibers that caused the turf system to fail years earlier than marketed and expected. Despite FieldTurf marketing the turf system as durable, safe, and engineered for optimal athletic performance, the evidence showed the turf fibers rapidly and unevenly deteriorated, matted, cracked, and fibrillated, creating a hazardous playing surface with dangerously inconsistent traction that caused the injuries at issue in the case. The evidence also showed that FieldTurf knew the significant defects in its turf system years before selling and installing the field at issue. Despite this knowledge, the company continued to market the product as safe and durable while attributing premature failures to maintenance issues or purchaser mishandling rather than disclosing known defects to purchasers and end users, including student athletes and their parents.

Jake Austin Guarino, a highly competitive lacrosse player, suffered two ACL tears three years apart—the first in 2013 to this left ACL, and the second in 2016 to his right, healthy ACL—in the same area of the same defective synthetic turf field manufactured and sold by FieldTurf and installed at Vandegrift High School’s Monroe Stadium in 2009. Over time, Mr. Guarino underwent multiple surgeries and endured extensive recovery periods as a result of his injuries, and he will require significant treatment in the future to further repair and preserve his knees.

After years of litigation, Beck Redden prevailed at trial, obtaining an over $2.3 million verdict for the Guarino family, totaling over $2.7 million with prejudgment interest. Prior to trial, the team secured spoliation sanctions based on FieldTurf’s failure to preserve the field and successfully defeated four mandamus petitions, preserving key trial court rulings and positioning the case for a favorable outcome.

This result highlights Beck Redden’s strength in complex products liability and personal injury litigation, including navigating extensive pretrial motion practice and enforcing discovery obligations in high-stakes cases involving serious injuries.

The Beck Redden team was led by partners Troy Ford and Jackie Furlow, with support from associates Cassie Maneen and Kelsey Eyanson and paralegal Cyndi Causseaux. Appellate partner Nicholas Bruno, with support from Elisabeth Butler and John Adcock, provided critical assistance in defeating mandamus challenges and securing key procedural victories throughout the litigation.

The case is: Jake Louis Guarino, Jill Guarino, & Jake Austin Guarino v. FieldTurf USA, Inc., No. D 1 GN 18 001690, in the 419th Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas.

About Beck Redden LLP

Beck Redden LLP is a litigation firm that handles a wide range of disputes including energy, oil and gas, product liability, antitrust, securities, environmental, insurance coverage, legal and accounting malpractice, and intellectual property cases.