An exceptional condemnation. The American car manufacturer Ford was ordered on Friday August 19 to pay 1.7 billion dollars (1.69 billion euros) in damages for a manufacturing defect in one of its models which led to the death of a couple in Georgia (United States), in 2014. While it is not uncommon to see damages in excess of one million dollars in traffic accident cases, the amount awarded in this case is one of the highest ever.
At the end of this judgment, rendered by a popular jury of Gwinnett County and reported by several American press organs, Ford announced, on Sunday August 21, to the wall street journalof his intention to appeal this decision “which is not supported by evidence”according to the manufacturer.
Melvin and Voncile Hill’s F-250 Super Duty pickup rolled over after suffering a flat tire while driving on a highway near Americus, Georgia. The roof of the overturned vehicle had caved in, crushing the couple in the cabin. Following this accident, the two children of the couple took legal action and accused Ford of a defect in the design of this model which, according to documents cited by the American media, was involved in dozens of other similar accidents. .
During the trial, which lasted three weeks, Ford’s lawyers cited several design and safety studies that they said showed the roof was strong enough to withstand such an impact. But the jury still held the responsibility of the Dearborn firm which, according to documents on file, manufactured approximately 5.2 million copies of this model, from 1999 to 2016, before the roof failed. be strengthened, starting in 2017.
The envelope of 1.7 billion dollars corresponds to so-called punitive damages, which go beyond the prejudice of the victim or victims and aims to sanction the behavior of the author. They are often proportionate according to the financial capabilities of the person or entity concerned.