confidential settlement- tractor brakes fail

A tractor traveling down the steep Oakdale Grade in Napa County picked up speed and went off the road, killing the farm worker operator. The tractor could not be stopped once it reached speeds in excess of twenty-five miles an hour. The tractor driver was not informed about this braking limitation before he started down the steep hill. We claimed the warnings about brake limitations were not adequate and that the grape harvesting employer should not have allowed the tractor to be used on a steep public road. The employer had allowed water to be placed in the two rear tires, causing further instability.