Ford Ordered to Pay $6 Million to Paralyzed Man
By Richard Seward
Published on July 30, 2007
On a 2002 vacation with his family in Sarasota, 17-year-old Julian Felipe of Hialeah, Florida was seriously injured when the Ford Aerostar he and his family were riding in rolled over after one of its tires blew out. According to the lawsuit, the rollover caused the roof to collapse, breaking Felipe's neck and leaving him paralyzed.
The jury in the Fort Lauderdale trial concluded that Ford was aware of the tendency for the Aerostar model to roll over in the event of a tire blow-out. The lawsuit alleged that Ford acted negligently by placing a vehicle on the market that it knew to be unsafe.
The $6 million jury award is intended to compensate Felipe for his pain and suffering and loss of future income.
A spokesperson for Ford Motor Co. says that the automaker will likely appeal the decision.
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