Georgia Superior Court, Atlanta Judicial Circuit, Fulton County
RHONDA SASSER, ON BEHALF OF HER CHILD, KELSEY SASSER V. FORD MOTOR COMPANY
No. 2003-CV-68680
DATE OF VERDICT/SETTLEMENT: March 2, 2004
TOPIC: PRODUCTS LIABILITY - AUTOMOBILES - PRODUCTS LIABILITY - FAILURE TO WARN - PRODUCTS LIABILITY - DESIGN DEFECT LINCOLN SEAT BACK CRUSHED IN ON GIRL, FRACTURING HER SPINE
AWARD: $47,827,311
RESULT: Verdict-Plaintiff
The jury found Ford liable and awarded $33,868,000 in compensatory damages and $13,959,311 in punitive damages, for a total of $47,827,311.
According to plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Harris, the jury may have sided with the plaintiff and reached this award amount because of the defendant's longstanding and pervasive pattern of ignoring the consequences of an unsafe defect.
ATTORNEYS:
Plaintiff: Scherffius, Ballard, Still and Ayres, LLP; Andrew M. Scherffius; Tamara McDowell Ayres; Atlanta, GA Jeffrey R. Harris
INJURY: Spinal fracture at T2-T3 resulting in paraplegia with the inability to move below T-2. Plaintiff claimed approximately $300,000 in past medical specials, between $19,000,000 and $30,000,000 in future wage loss and $10,000,000 to $12,000,000 for a life care plan including medical and vocational expenses. Plaintiff sought an unspecified amount of punitive damages.
