The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that a Georgia jury has awarded $30 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages against Ford Motor Co. in a case involving an alleged defect in a 2004 Ford Explorer. The plaintiff claims she put the car in park and got out to mail a package when the vehicle suddenly shifted into reverse, backing into her and fracturing her spine.
Ford is taking a beating in punitive damages litigation lately, between this award and the California Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss review in Buell-Wilson, which effectively affirmed a $55 million punitive damages award.
