Automotive Defects Case Results

C.M. v. Ford Motor Co.
$27,000,000.00 jury verdict in an auto defect case for the estate of a 46-year-old man who died because the driver’s seat of his vehicle failed in a rear impact motor vehicle accident, causing him to suffer fatal head injuries. The jury’s award included $25,000,000.00 for loss of society suffered by his wife and two children, an Illinois record.

L.C. v. Ford Motor Co. – $14,500,000.00 verdict in an auto defect case for a woman who became paraplegic when her 1991 Ford Explorer was rear ended. Her driver’s seat broke, and she was catapulted into the rear of the vehicle. The verdict was rendered against Ford Motor Company and the uninsured driver of the other vehicle. The verdict was affirmed on appeal, and the judgment plus interest was paid in full.

Unnamed Plaintiff v. Unnamed Automaker and Dealer – $3,650,000.00 settlement in an auto product defect case. Our 57-year-old client fell asleep at the wheel of his convertible coupe, lost control and rolled over while driving on I-94 in SW Michigan. During the course of the rollover, the A-pillar on the driver’s side deformed downward, exposing the plaintiff’s spine to severe flexion. This caused incomplete quadriplegia. We sued the automaker and dealer for failing to incorporate pop-up or fixed roll-bar technology on the convertible that would have made the injury less likely.

L.S. v. General Motors Corp. – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case to the surviving adult children of a woman who died in a rollover collision. Claimed auto defects were in the door mounted seat belt system, and the automatic door locking system of the Pontiac Grand Am.

J.T. v. Seat Belt Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of young man who was paralyzed when his seat belt inertially unlatched during a collision and he was ejected from his seat.

E.M. v. Confidential Auto Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of a young woman who was paralyzed when she was ejected from a vehicle when the door latch and lock system failed and the door opened during the crash.