A grand jury decision years in the making over a wrongful death suit resulted in a historic payout today.
The Gwinnett County jury decided unanimously that Ford Motor Company should face $1.7 billion in punitive damages for a fatal rollover crash in 2014 that killed Georgia couple Melvin and Voncile Hill, 74 and 62, when they were crushed inside. The amount is the largest in state history. The family’s attorneys argued the crash was caused by an overlooked flaw in the Ford F-250, which they described as “dangerously defective roofs,” according to the AP, with one attorney describing the popular pickup truck’s ceiling as weak as a convertible’s. “More deaths and severe injuries are certain because millions of these trucks are on the road,” said Gerald Davidson, one of the family’s attorneys, in a statement released Sunday. The auto manufacturer has denied the claims, arguing the verdict isn’t supported by evidence. A spokesman for the company said that they intend to appeal the verdict. Read more.
Is a person really worth almost $2 billion dollars in cash? That sounds a bit steep.
The problem with these grotesquely large judgements is that they don’t leave over any money for other victims. That being said, if the company’s actuaries are going to calculate whether it’s worth fixing a flaw or just settling whatever lawsuits due to injury or death is cheaper than repairing the issue, maybe it’s good to have eye popping judgements every once in a while to realize that it’s not a gamble worth taking.