The Ford logo is seen on the grille of a 2015 F-150 truck outside the New York Stock Exchange in the borough of Manhattan, New York, January 13, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Ford Motor Company was told by a jury to pay more than $1.7 billion in a 2014 rollover accident that killed a Georgia couple, an attorney for the family said.
A jury delivered its verdict on punitive damages on Friday after a 14-day trial in state court in Lawrenceville, Georgia, according to attorney Gerald Davidson.
The day before, a jury awarded the Melvin and Voncil Hill families $24 million in compensatory damages, assigning 70% of the liability to Ford, Davidson said.
The verdict, one of the largest in the United States this year, could not be immediately confirmed in court records.Ford did not immediately respond to a request for comment after normal business hours.
Davidson confirmed details of a previously reported case by the Courtroom View Network.
The Hills were driving a 2002 Ford F-250 pickup from a farm in Reynolds, Georgia, when a tire burst and the truck overturned, crushing them.
The Hill family said Ford knew the F-250 pickup’s roof was too thin to protect riders in the event of a rollover, but didn’t warn consumers and stuck with the flawed roof design until 2016. claimed.
“I’m very happy for the Hill family and for the increased safety in the car,” Davidson said.
In Georgia, 75% of proceeds from punitive damages judgments are donated to the state. The rest is divided between plaintiffs and attorneys.
Large punitive damages are often reduced by a judge or court of appeals if they are found to be disproportionate to the compensatory damages.
