The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

On December 18, a Clayton County, Georgia jury ordered Ford Motor Co. to pay more than $16 million of a $17.7 million judgment related to a 2005 Christmas Day auto accident. The other vehicle's driver had been held responsible for the remainder of the damages.

However, while the jury was pondering additional punitive damages against Ford, the auto manufacturer decided to settle the entire case with the injured woman and her husband for a confidential sum, letting the negligent driver off the hook for his portion of the damages.

Lynn Wheeler was sitting in the back seat of a Ford Explorer in between her two grandchildren on the day of the accident. The Explorer was hit head-on by another vehicle which lost control and crossed into the oncoming traffic lane. Wheeler slammed forward and down when the rear seat latch failed and collapsed on her. She suffered a serious spinal cord injury which has left her paralyzed from the neck down.

Wheeler's lawsuit claimed Ford was negligent in their design for the rear seat latch and in their decision to install a lap belt instead of a three-point shoulder belt. During the trial, Wheeler's attorney presented evidence demonstrating Ford has known about the dangers of lap-only seatbelts for more than 30 years based on company documents and crash-test memos dating back to the 1960s. However, in an attempt to save money, they have not corrected the issue.

The concrete proof that Ford knew of the dangers of their defective vehicles yet did nothing to correct the problem most likely led the jury to feel that punitive damages were necessary as well. However, due to Ford's willingness to settle before a damage figure could be determined, they will not be responsible for any punitive damages in this claim.

If you have suffered an injury due to a defective auto, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your damages. The experienced defective product attorneys at The Cochran Firm have the skills and resources to help you receive what is rightfully yours.

Please contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation. The Cochran Firm serves clients nationwide.