Florida Judge Accuses Ford of Hiding Electromagnetic Concerns in Sudden Acceleration Cases
A Florida judge presiding over a sudden acceleration case has reversed a jury verdict for Ford Motor Co. and found for the plaintiffs because of his belief that the jury was misled.
Senior Judge William Swigert of the 5th District in Ocala said he concluded Ford had concealed or destroyed crucial reports pointing to a possible cause of cruise control problems, the St. Petersburg Times reports. The newspaper reports on his conclusions, reached after a 17-month review of the evidence and legal motions, outlined in a “blistering” 46-page opinion (PDF posted by SafetyResearch.net).
Ford service reports written by engineers and technicians had identified electromagnetic interference as a possible source of cruise control problems, Swigert wrote. If the reports had been forwarded to federal authorities, “the government would have discovered years ago that electronic failures in the cruise control system is a cause of sudden acceleration,” according to Swigert.
Swigert said Ford’s defense in the February 2010 trial was based on misstatements about important evidence and personal attacks on the plaintiffs’ lawyers, according to the Times account. One of the plaintiffs, Peggy Stimpson, was paralyzed after her Ford Aerostar accelerated out of her driveway. Ford said her husband had mistakenly hit the gas pedal.
Swigert ordered a new trial on the issue of damages only.
Prior coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Attention Plaintiffs Lawyers: Cosmic Rays Probed as Possible Toyota Glitch”
