Ford Getting Shafted

[Infiniti Z350]

Ford to pay $83m over teen's death
November 17, 2005 - 11:57AM

A US jury has ordered Ford to pay more than $83 million to the family of a 17-year-old boy killed in a rollover when his friend fell asleep while driving an Explorer.

This is because the US four-wheel-drives allegedly overturn instead of sliding out of trouble.

Ford was liable in the accident because it sold a vehicle with poor handling and stability, the Florida jury said on Tuesday.

The company would appeal, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The family of Lance Crossman Hall claimed Ford knew the Explorer was prone to rollovers and failed to warn consumers about the vehicle's defects.

Ford blamed defective Firestone tyres for the Explorer's handling and stability problems. The company knowingly continued to produce unsafe vehicles, Bruce Kaster, a lawyer for the family, said on Wednesday.

"This tragic accident occurred when the driver of the vehicle fell asleep at the wheel while travelling at highway speeds. Real-world experience and testing show that the Explorer is a safe vehicle, consistently performing as well as or better than other vehicles in its class," Ford spokeswoman Karen Shaughnessy said.

Hall was reclining in the front passenger seat and wearing his seat belt when the Explorer rolled over four times on State Road 93 in Florida's Collier County on April 20, 1997. He was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

The driver of the 1996 Explorer, Melahn Parker, was charged with careless driving.

Parker attempted to regain control of the vehicle, but a handling problem with the Explorer caused it to turn sideways, which triggered the rollover, Kaster said.

"Ford vehicles are supposed to be designed to slide out in an emergency situation, not roll over, and that's according to Ford's own internal criteria," Kaster said. "But the Explorer is one of their vehicles that will not meet their own criteria. It will roll over."

The jury ordered Ford to pay the family $US1.2 million ($1.6 million) in damages, and $US60 million for the pain and suffering of Hall and his mother, Joan Hall-Edwards.

Ford was not ordered to pay punitive damages.

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/for...?oneclick=true

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I think Ford got robbed.

[IAMCANADIAN]

That sounds so retarded it's not even funny. Why didn't this family SUE THE DRIVER. I may not have degrees or diplomas but I have something many don't, Common Sense. That judge must be the biggest fool to actually make Ford pay a family that much money when their son's friend FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, and being that it's an SUV at high speeds, it's obviously going to flip over, a monkey could figure that out for christ sakes, how dumb is that.

[Rex Raider]

This is truly disturbing. I'm glad I'm in Canada where these types of lawsuits don't happen.

Now do owner's manuals (which most people don't read anyway) have to say "Do not drive vehicle while sleeping"?

Ford should sue the driver and the victim's family for bringing them negative publicity.

[kool_zx3]

Originally Posted by Rex Raider

This is truly disturbing. I'm glad I'm in Canada where these types of lawsuits don't happen.

Now do owner's manuals (which most people don't read anyway) have to say "Do not drive vehicle while sleeping"?

Ford should sue the driver and the victim's family for bringing them negative publicity.

AMEN, until the american legal systems get's a clue this will continue to happen. These lawsuits are just plain stupid, you can sue over anything and WIN. Stupid, just plain stupid.

[moman]

Collier county is full of either old people or rednecks with an 8th grade education.

Problems with the Explorer are well documented yet this verdict is troubling.

[Swahili]

I'm baffled. I don't know how someone could build up such a case to win a lawsuit like this. The problem is not the Exlporer in this case, but the person behind the fifth wheel.

[Mr. Burns]

Originally Posted by IAMCANADIAN

That sounds so retarded it's not even funny. Why didn't this family SUE THE DRIVER. I may not have degrees or diplomas but I have something many don't, Common Sense. That judge must be the biggest fool to actually make Ford pay a family that much money when their son's friend FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, and being that it's an SUV at high speeds, it's obviously going to flip over, a monkey could figure that out for christ sakes, how dumb is that.

i dont think the driver would have had 60mil in cash to pay

[griswold44]

I want to know the driver's & quite possibly the JUDGES'S blood alcohol level.

[paul8488]

What a world! There's no hope for humans.

[IAMCANADIAN]

Originally Posted by Mr. Burns

i dont think the driver would have had 60mil in cash to pay

Well then if he feels tired, then he shouldn't have been driving should he. It even says, at least in GM manuals that if you feel sleepy, don't drive, pull over, do something other than DRIVING. But what can you do I guess, you can't change the past, but I sometimes wonder if these judge's have any common sense whatsoever.

[GBC140]

What is wrong with people in this country and these moronic lawsuits. It was the fault of the driver for causing the accident. This decision should be overturned- these people don't deserve the $83 million- the case wasn't even worth the court's time.

[dauntlessVsix]

I agree, that is truly retarted. I wish people would just take some responsibility for their actions. You screw up... fess up, take responsibility, pay the consequences, move on. If you crap your pants, please, don't blame it on the dog.

[Aerodynamix]

Originally Posted by kool_zx3

AMEN, until the american legal systems get's a clue this will continue to happen. These lawsuits are just plain stupid, you can sue over anything and WIN. Stupid, just plain stupid.

I'm with you guys 100%.

[Mr. Burns]

i suspect they were all in it together, just to grab the money, the driver and the family made a deal to go against ford.

[460ford]

Ya know what, I think I should go crash my truck into a wall and sue Ford, say my foot was too tired to press the brake pedal. Should be worth about 100 million right?