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 A jury awarded 18 million dollars to the driver and passenger of a 1995 Ford Explorer after finding the vehicle had a defective speed-control system when it crashed in December 1999.
Driver, Sonya Watson received $15 million from the Greenville County South Carolina jury.
Ford was found negligent and breached a warranty because of a defective speed-control system.
The crash also killed Patricia Carter who was also was ejected from the vehicle. Her estate was awarded $3 million.
Attorneys for Carter and Watson alleged the SUV unexpectedly "took off'"as it traveled down the interstate. They also argued the RCF-67 model seat belts (SEE BELOW FOR PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ARTICLE ABOUT THIS MODEL SEAT BELT) in the Explorer were defective and came undone on impact, a phenomenon known as "inertial unlatching."
The jury rejected the seat belt claim and did not find evidence that Ford or TRW Vehicle Safety Systems provided defective seat belts. They found that neither Watson nor Carter were wearing their seatbelts based on Ford and TRW's arguments.
The jury award was for actual damages and not for punitive damages.
At trial attorneys for Watson said that she tried to tap the brakes but when the vehicle didn't stop, she reached for the pedal. At that point, Watson's safety belt came undone and she was ejected.
Before reaching a verdict, jurors asked if they could consider causes of cruise control malfunction other than electromagnetic interference (EMI). Circuit Court Judge Miller ruled that the jury should consider any and all evidence presented.
Ford has received thousands of complaints on it's cruise control systems installed in Ford vehicles between 1992-2002. But Ford claims that despite years of research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a few plaintiff attorneys continue to promote the phenomenon of alleged sudden acceleration. They blame the problem on "pedal misapplication."
Judge Miller gave the defendants' attorneys two weeks to file post-trial motions. Upon receipt he will decide whether to enter the verdict into judgement. After that, it could take about 18 months before the plaintiffs receive any money from Ford.
Click here for other Ford verdicts and articles we previously published.
The list:
Ford Fires Chronology July 26, 2005
$42 Mil Verdict Against Ford September 20, 2005
Successful Rollover and Seat Back Failure September 13, 2005
Ford Loses $47 Mil Appeal September 6, 2005
Ford Loses Trial December 27, 2005
LSSLC Helps Settle Door Latch Failure, Ford Loses Another Rollover Trial January 10, 2006
Explorer Tire Rollover Verdict February 7, 2006
Ford Rollover Award Reduced July 25, 2006
Please contact us to get these previously published articles:
Ford on Trial for Fraud
The Ohio Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal by the Ford Motor Co clearing the way for a trial on whether the car maker committed fraud when settling a case some 18 years ago.
Ford/Volvo Roof Crush Documents on Website
Washington-based watchdog group could post the NHTSA disputed Ford documents on its Web site as soon as today. The group hopes to build public support for stricter federal regulations that would increase roof strength.
$43 Mil Verdict Against Ford
Neither speed nor the ages of a husband and wife, one deceased and the other seriously burned, deterred a jury in Madison Cty, IL from finding against Ford Motor Company in this fuel tank design case. Punitive damages assessed too.
$10 Million Ford Roof Crush Verdict
Jacksonville, Fla., after 4 weeks in trial a $10.2 million dollar verdict against Ford for a woman killed when the roof of her 2000 Ford Explorer collapsed. Occupants in the front and rear passenger seats walk away. Why?
Front Seat Belt Complaints for Ford
1.4 million vehicles Ford Motor Co. recalled in mid-2001 because of a suspected defect in front seat belt buckles. Complaints that some of the belts do not stay latched continue. Federal safety officials are expanding an investigation.
Ford, Mazda Pay $27 Mil in Death
A faulty driver's seat caused the death of James Mikolajczyk of Cook County Ill. Ford and Mazda were ordered to pay his family $27 million. Mikolajczyk was killed in February 2000 on Chicago's Southeast Side when his car was rear-ended.
Ford Losses in $28 Mil Rollover Verdict
Despite accusations of excessive speed and alcohol use, a Texas jury reached a decision, approved by 10 of the 11 jurors, then awarded another $3 million in damages against the driver of the 2000 Explorer.
Ford Loses Seatback Trial
After a three week trial in Cumberland County, Tennessee, plaintiffs prevailed and won a $10 million dollar verdict against Ford in a seatback failure case.
Ford Defense Verdict Reversed
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed and remanded an Indianapolis jury's defense verdict. This opinion is most favorable for all of our clients dealing with the validity of FMVSS standards and jury instructions. The case involved roof crush in a 1995 Explorer.
Ford Engineers Warned of Death From SUVs, Documents Show
Ford Motor Co. ignored its engineers' advice that the Explorer sport-utility vehicle needed design revisions to prevent rollover accidents and fatal injuries, according to internal company documents and employee depositions.
$8.7 Mil Verdict Against Ford
A former Army major left paraplegic after a rollover crash has received more than $8.7 million in a federal damage award. Ford Motor Co. was responsible for a defect in the roof design of a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria. It contributed to spinal injuries sustained by Barry Muth in 1999 when the vehicle in which he was a front seat passenger, struck a concrete median divider, straddled it, and then fell into the opposite lanes, landing on its roof.
Ford Crown Victoria Class Action Keeps Police From Replacing Cars
A week after lawyers won the right to bring any Louisiana police department which owns a Crown Victoria Police Interceptor into a lawsuit claiming the model is unacceptably dangerous, Louisiana State Police are considering whether to drop the suit.
Court Overturns Ford Verdict
A U.S. appeals court reversed a 2003 jury verdict that found Ford Motor Co. wasn't liable for the death of a mother and daughter in an Explorer rollover accident.
Jury Rules Crown Victoria Police Cruisers Are Safe
A jury in the first class-action lawsuit filed over the safety of Ford's Crown Victoria police cruisers ruled Friday that the cars are safe, a judge must now decide if the automaker violated state consumer fraud laws.
Ford Sold Police Cars After Fiery Crashes Showed They Were Unsafe
That policy of minimizing safety to maximize profits is at the heart of why we're here today," said attorney David Perry at the opening of the first class-action lawsuit to come to trial over the cruisers' safety. "You will hear the company say these crashes are rare. These officers were rare, too.
Disputed Transcript Triggers 'Nightmare' for Ford
Anthony Sonnett of San Diego's Yukevich & Sonnett is contesting a phrase in his June 2 closing argument in which he told the jurors: : "It's impossible not to be angry at Ford Motor
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