Mercedes-Benz U.S.A will pay a Florida couple $2.25 million after a Federal jury ruled the automaker was responsible for injuries the man and wife sustained in a 1998 accident. Elwood and Norma Kaplan were driving outside of Naples when a Dodge Durango driven by Delwin J. Wohlgemuth crashed into the driver side door of the couple's Mercedes S420. The car's side airbag failed to inflate and Mr. Kaplan's arm was ripped off below the shoulder. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs successfully argued the airbag was defective and that it would have prevented Kaplan's injuries if it had deployed. The verdict is believed to be the first against Mercedes involving a defective side airbag. The Kaplans settled with Wohlgemuth's insurance company before the trial began.