Jury Calls Vehicle 'Defective By Design'

[CADDYBILL]

Jury Slams Ford Explorer

Does this mean my 94 will get recalled and I get a new one?

[rustytr]

I posted on the one in general explorations thread that this could mean a whole financial mess for Ford.

[thefordmotorco]

GOZUKARA V. FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Although early news reports suggested otherwise, no liability was found against Ford. Our defense presented the fact that this accident was not caused by any defect in the Explorer. The jurors agreed. The jurors ruled that the Explorer did not cause plaintiff's injuries or damages. So Ford Motor Company is no longer part of this case. This is consistent with the results in the two previous Explorer cases that have gone to verdict. Three juries have now exonerated the Explorer.

Our sympathies go out to the Gozukara family, but this was an unfortunate accident. The evidence showed that the Explorer rode up a concrete barrier at highway speeds and almost immediately rolled over – as any other comparable vehicle would have done in the circumstances. In addition, neither the driver nor the passenger was wearing a seat belt.

In order to reach a verdict in a case the jury must first complete a verdict form, which includes a series of questions about the responsibility, if any, of each party, including the plaintiff. While the jury on one question returned an unspecified finding of a defect in the vehicle, they rejected the plaintiff's claims against Ford. The jury found instead that the vehicle had no role whatsoever in the accident or injuries.

The jury found that a faulty repair by a repair shop caused the accident and the injuries. The damage portion of the trial continues next week against the repair facility. Ford Motor Company is absolved of all responsibility for this accident and faces no liability.

More than 10 years of data prove that the Explorer is a safe vehicle. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) data verify that the Explorer is one of the safest vehicles on the road. In all accident types, the Explorer is 27 percent safer than passenger cars, and is 19 percent safer than other compact SUVs in a rollover accident.

Official Ford Motor Company Statement (http://media.ford.com/article_displa...ticle_id=10923)

[CADDYBILL]

Hmm they are watching us.

[TSTONE]

just another example of yellow journalisim in it's current form:

once again the media has seen fit to give us 1% of the story(the part that will get people buying/reading their articles), and let the public go on believing the half truths and misinformation as reported. a great example of this was when all this garbage started w/ the firestones the media ballywhoed that the likelyhood of a rollover was extremly high, car & driver came to michigan and did an exhuastive study out at milan dragway on the effects of instant zero inflation and it's relation to the explorer handling, in 100+ runs they never experienced a problem, even with moderate driver error. was this ever reported you ask? not really - it was aired on local cable access stations that carry the off hours C&D weekly show but was never reported on by the same major news sources that tore fomoco down the first time around (cause it won't sell - and it shakes viewer confidence in their news reporting)

- IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THAT AL GORE WAS PRESIDENT FOR AN HOUR!!! -

[Stephen S]

Todd, I am with you and your disgust for the news media. You are absolutely right IMO.

[TarHeel085]

ill tell ya what it is: these idiot people go from their nice cushy luxury car that can handle real nice and manuever well. so they get an suv, and like most women drive like idiots! (flame suit on) so there out in their SUV and go:"hey i can take this turn at 30mph or swerve on the highway at 65-70mph." and they wonder why it rolls over. people have to understand its NOT the explorer at fault its the idiots (not anyone onn the board) that drive them. i mean its definatley not only the explorer it was just the most critisized because it is the most popular suv out there, and they were publisized more when they rolled over. during a slalom test of the Liberty the people rolled it, and lets see the montero-nothin more to say than montero. i personally can take a corner at 30mph and not have any problems. but then again i do have stiff shocks and leafs. but thats just me. sorry for this lengthy post but i hope you can understand it!

Curtis

[CADDYBILL]

Lets see, they hit a barrier that is designed so that if you hit it, it lifts you and prevents you from hitting oncoming traffic, they flip then get thrown out of the truck because they did not where a seatbelt. What’s the problem? Would they have rather hit oncoming traffic?
Do you think they got a ticket for not wearing seatbelts? Now that would be funny.


If I haven’t flip yet I don’t think it can be done.

[NoBoundaries]

Here is a working link to the statement above: http://media.ford.com/article_displa...&make_id=trust

Thanks.

[Jason_25]

Wow...........they really do monitor what we say on here..........

That's interesting, we just had to say something extreme enough for them to post.

[CADDYBILL]

Weird huh?

[expo5.0]

i'm just glad they are listening. now check out my pics and build a explorer sport with a lowered suspension and a 2v 4.6. please, please, please. i will be the first in line.

[Damn Yankee]

FYI! Take note of the parts in BOLD type!

The Associated Press


BARSTOW, Calif. (February 1, 2002 10:05 p.m. EST) - A jury has cleared Ford Motor Co. of responsibility for a 1997 accident that left a woman paralyzed.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged design defects in the 1994 Ford Explorer caused the vehicle to suddenly veer out of control as the couple and their children drove on a highway here in May 1997.

The accident paralyzed Catherine Gozukara and crushed her husband's leg. Gozukara was also pregnant at the time and lost her child because of her injuries, according to the lawsuit.

After a three-month trial, the Superior Court jury agreed there was a "defect in the design" of the Explorer, but found that the defect was not the cause of the Gozukaras' injuries.

Instead, the jury found that an Orange County Ford dealership was mostly liable for failing to make proper repairs after the couple complained that the sport utility vehicle has unusual vibrations, shaking and braking problems.

The jury also found that Gozukara was slightly responsible for her injuries because she was not wearing a seat belt.

The jury will convene next week to decide how much the dealership should pay in damages.

This trial did not involve claims that the vehicle's tires caused the accident. Previous cases involving Explorer rollover accidents blamed Firestone tires which have since been recalled.

"The jury did find the vehicle was defective in design because of its propensity to roll over," said Garo Mardirossian, an attorney representing the Gozukaras. But "they found the defect in the vehicle did not cause injury to the plaintiffs in this accident."

Ford called the accident unfortunate and expressed sympathy for the family.

But the automaker also said: "The evidence showed that the Explorer rode up a concrete barrier at highway speeds and almost immediately rolled over - as any other comparable vehicle would have done in the circumstances."

[diablo5969]

Originally posted by CADDYBILL
If I haven’t flip yet I don’t think it can be done.

I'm with ya on that one.

By the way, that is kinda weird. How long do you think Ford's been monitoring the site? Do you think they've got a guy who's job it is to sit in an office all day and read this site? Hmmm...Ford, I can have a resume on the way

[Damn Yankee]

Do you think they've got a guy who's job it is to sit in an office all day and read this site?

Dude, you'd be surprised!

Ford's Upper Crust and Ford's lawyer's have their Homepages set on a site called BON (Blue Oval News).

http://www.blueovalnews.com/

Go check it out!