Ford Motor Co. has asked a Georgia federal court to throw out a bid for punitive damages in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the children of a couple who died in a rollover crash involving a 2015 Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup truck. The automaker argues that a previous $1.7 billion verdict involving a similar claim bars further punitive damages under Georgia law.
Ford Rollover Suit Hearing : Ford’s Argument Against Punitive Damages
In a motion for partial summary judgment filed on Thursday, Ford contends that Georgia law only allows for one punitive damages award for a particular act or omission in product liability cases. Since the automaker was already hit with punitive damages in a prior case over the same allegedly defective roof design, Ford argues that James Edward Brogdon Jr.’s claims for additional punitive damages should be dismissed.
Ford further asserts that allowing the case to proceed with the punitive damages claim would prejudice the automaker, especially given that it is currently appealing the previous $1.7 billion verdict. The company argues that there is no evidence showing that it acted with “conscious indifference” to the risks posed by its truck roofs.
