An automaker was ordered to pay $57 million to a former SUV driver after the vehicle’s owner said the truck ran over his leg.
The owner of a 1998 Ford Expedition broke several bones in his leg after the large SUV was reversed.
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Ford said it intends to appeal the decision.
Lorelle Thompson initially filed a lawsuit against the company in 2018, two years after the incident.
According to the original report, Thompson accidentally hit a mailbox in the Expedition, Ford’s largest SUV.
She stated that she parked the vehicle and then got out of the driver’s seat to inspect the damage.
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The small mistake took a disastrous turn, the complaint said.
“As she stepped onto the ground, she slipped and fell on her back, with her left leg positioned behind the left front wheel of the vehicle,” the lawsuit alleged.
“The vehicle then unexpectedly shifted into reverse and began rolling backwards.”
Thompson reported fractures to his tibia and fibula bones after the expedition ran over his leg.
The lawsuit claims that Ford was to blame for the injury because the company’s gears had “inadequate mechanical strength.”
The complaint alleged that cars inadvertently changed gears when the selector did not fully reach the intended position.
Thompson’s lawsuit was initially dismissed in 2019 without prejudice, meaning she could refile the case.
In April, a jury awarded him $56.6 million in Colorado.
Thompson’s lawyers argued that Ford knew about the possible gear malfunction as early as 1980.
He argued that the company did not take adequate corrective measures to resolve the security issue.
This was an uphill battle against one of the largest corporations in the world.”
Bradley Leger
Ford’s punitive damages were set at $45 million.
“This victory marks a significant milestone in our quest for justice,” Bradley Leger, one of the trial attorneys, said in a statement after the trial.
“This was an uphill battle against one of the largest corporations in the world.”
However, the case may not be over.
A Ford spokesperson said the company was reviewing possible appeals in the case, according to Law.com.
“While our condolences are extended to Ms. Thompson and we respect the jury’s decision, we do not believe the verdict is supported by the evidence,” the spokesperson said.
“We will review appeal options.”
Ford did not immediately respond to the US Sun’s request for comment.
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