Los Angeles, Oct 15: A jury has recommended awarding more than USD 27 million to a boy paralyzed in a 1996 crash after finding Ford Motor Co. Liable for a defective seat belt design. A judge must sign off on the jury's recommendation. Johann Karlsson was riding in a 1996 Ford Windstar when it was hit by a 29,000-pound roll of steel that fell from a truck that collided with another hauler.
Johann, then 5, was in a rear-center seat equipped with a lap belt. Everyone else in the vehicle was wearing lap and shoulder seat belts, said plaintiff's attorney Tom Girardi.
Ford could not challenge the claim that the seat belt was defective because of a ruling by a judge after the carmaker allegedly failed to turn over important documents.
Ford attorney Frank Kelly said the company did not hide evidence and said Johann did not have his seat belt on properly.
"This accident is a tragic reminder that seat belts can protect passengers only when they are used properly," a Ford representative said in a statement.
The Karlsson family received settlements of about USD 12 million in 2000 and 2001 from three trucking companies involved in the accident.
Bureau Report