Arkansas father sues Ford and dealer over pickup crash that killed son

By Jim Greene

Published on September 09, 2005

In the suit, filed on behalf of the estate of his son Jason Haney, Michael Haney accuses Ford of designing and manufacturing a defective product and Superior, Inc., the car dealership from which the elder Haney and his wife purchased the 1999 pickup for their son, of selling a defective product.

Jason Haney, who was 20 at the time, veered off a highway near Huntsville as he was driving home from work. The pickup struck a concrete abutment, rolled over into a ditch, and burst into flames. Haney suffered third degree burns over 85 percent of his body; he died two days later.

The suit, which claims wrongful death and liability for damages, alleges that the fire was the result of poor design of the pickup's frame and fuel tank. It charges that Ford was aware of the dangerous nature of the vehicle. Ford and Superior have both denied the accusations and moved for dismissal.

A jury trial in the case was originally scheduled for this week, but has been postponed until next summer because Fourth Circuit Judge Kim Smith ruled that it would take longer than the nine days scheduled. He has allowed 13 days for the postponed trial, noting that 94 witnesses are expected to testify for the two sides

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