Ford Ordered to Pay Siblings $1.7 Billion Lawsuit After Parents Were Killed in Rollover Crash
Two siblings were awarded $1.7 billion in a lawsuit against Ford after both of their parents were killed in a rollover crash.
Voncile Hill, 62, and Melvin Hill, 74, were killed after they blew a tire on their Ford F-250, causing the truck to roll over. During the crash, the roof of the vehicle crunched together and held no protection to the passengers. The couple later died at the hospital from their injuries.
Adam and Kim, Hill Siblings who are both in their fifties, sued Ford and Pep Boys in 2018. The lawsuit alleges that the design of the F-250 has flaws that ultimately led to the death of the Hills. Pep Boys, the auto shop responsible for fitting the vehicle’s tires four years prior, was also named liable in the lawsuit.
In court, the family’s attorney noted that 79 other crashes were documented in which the roofs on Ford’s F-250 pickup truck obliterated on impact.
The siblings were initially awarded $24 million in compensatory damages, however, the jury then ruled that $1.7 billion in punitive damages be paid in the case.
The amount owed in punitive damages was what the jury felt acceptable to hold Ford liable to ensure the same mistake doesn’t happen again.
The Hill family may claim $425 million due to the state of Georgia getting 75 percent of the total amount awarded.
Ford, a company worth $60 billion, says it will appeal the decision.
