Jurors order Ford Motor to pay $1.7 billion fine for fatal crash

Ford Motor Company faces a $1.7 billion fine in a 2014 fatal crash in the U.S. state of Georgia. This decision was made on August 19 by a jury in Gwinnett County Court, writes The Wall Street Journal.

The 2014 crash lawsuit was filed by the children of spouses Melvin and Vonsile Hill, who died in 2014. They were in the cabin of a 2002 Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup truck when the car’s tire blew and it overturned. The examination found that the Hill spouses died on the spot, as the roof of the car was too fragile and deformed. The plaintiffs noted that Ford was aware of the problems with the roof of the F-250 Super Duty, but did not notify customers about them.

For the sale of each pickup truck with an unsafe roof, of which there were 5.2 million in total, Ford must pay $ 327,000. At the same time, 75% of the fine will be transferred to the state of Georgia. Ford’s lawyers intend to appeal the jury’s decision.

In addition, the jury also determined that Ford should pay $24 million in compensation to the children of those killed in the accident.

In March, American car manufacturer Ford informed, which suspends its activities in Russia due to its special operation in the Donbass. Ford does not have production sites in Ukraine, but the company employs a significant number of Ukrainians around the world, the report said. The Ford Foundation will also donate $100,000 to the Ukraine Relief Fund to provide humanitarian assistance to citizens of the country and families who had to leave.

Ford had previously significantly reduced its presence in Russia and focused on commercial van production and sales in the country through a minority stake in a joint venture. Ford Sollers.