Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network

Massachusetts Police News, Information and Discussions on MassCops

Posted by: USMCMP5811

Jury: Ford not liable....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jury: Ford not liable in fiery I-70 crash involving trooper

A Jackson County jury today found Ford Motor Company not liable for a fiery crash that killed a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper and severely burned a Leawood man two years ago.

Plaintiff lawyers had asked jurors Monday for more than $65 million in damages from Ford, which produced the trooper’s cruiser, and from the small company that owned the truck that rear-ended the cruiser. The lawyers also asked for punitive damages against Ford.

Jurors instead found the small company, Trade Winds Distributing, fully liable and awarded the plaintiffs $8.5 million. The company’s driver hit the rear of the Crown Victoria cruiser on the shoulder of Interstate 70 on May 22, 2003.

The two-employee company is based in Altamont, Mo., and distributes boat docks. Plaintiffs will collect only a fraction of the award from the company’s insurance, lawyers said.

The accident occurred after Trooper Michael Newton pulled over Michael Nolte on I-70. Nolte sat in the cruiser as Newton wrote him a warning ticket for driving too long in the passing lane.

The driver of a Ford 350 pickup truck pulling an empty trailer slammed into the rear of the cruiser at about 65 miles per hour, causing a shower of gasoline that ignited.

Newton burned to death. Two passers-by pulled Nolte from the car. Nolte had severe burns on almost half his body, spent months in a hospital burn unit and still suffers scarring and intense pain.

At issue was the safety of Ford’s Crown Victoria police cruisers, which nationally have 85 percent of the police car market.

Attorneys for Newton’s family and Nolte and his wife argued that the gas tank’s placement behind the rear axle makes it defective and unsafe. Newton was the 11th officer killed in such crashes from 1981 through the 2003 accident, they noted.

Ford lawyer James Feeney of Detroit argued that Crown Victoria cruisers are the safest on the market.

He noted that the vast power of the crash — 13,000 pounds of truck and trailer at high speed — could have caused a fire in any car.

Jurors deliberated only about two hours before delivering the verdicts. They told lawyers that they agreed with Feeney that the force of the crash caused the fire.

---

Posted by: mpd61

11 deaths in thirteen years is eleven (11) too many. But considering the number of Crown Vics and actual number of rear enders (like trooper Ellie E.) suffered each year, I can see why the jury absolved Ford.

---

Posted by: Crvtte65

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpd61";p=&quot 11 deaths in thirteen years is eleven (11) too many. But considering the number of Crown Vics and actual number of rear enders (like trooper Ellie E.) suffered each year, I can see why the jury absolved Ford.

That's what I've been saying. These people are nuts to think any car wouldn't catch on fire once in a while from being hit in the rear by someone going sometimes 80+. Now, if the person was going 20...

---

vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
vB Easy Archive Final ©2000 - 2008 - Created by Stefan "Xenon" Kaeser