A jury in Florida ruled against Ford Motor Co. in a recent case. The verdict required Ford to pay $6 million to a Florida man who was paralyzed when the Ford Aerostar van he was in rolled over.
Julian Felipe, a Florida resident, was 17-years-old when he was a passenger in the van his mother was driving to Sarasota for a family vacation in 2002. A tire on the vehicle blew out and the van rolled over and the roof caved in. The teenager’s neck was broken.
The jury heard evidence that Ford knew there was a propensity for vans and trucks to roll over, especially after a tire blew out, and that the company failed to provide adequate engineering and safety measures to protect consumers.
After a six-week trial, the jury found that Ford failed to use reasonable care by placing the Aerostar on the market with a defect. The money awarded is for economic losses, pain and suffering and loss of potential income. Ford says it will appeal.
