Most of Record Chrysler Verdict is Upheld

A federal judge in South Carolina has upheld most of a $262.5 million verdict against DaimlerChrysler for allegations that Chrysler made minivans with a defective rear latch. In an opinion filed late Thursday, U.S. District Judge Falcon Hawkins reduced the award slightly, to $259 million. He said the $12.5 million in compensatory damages for the death of a 6-year-old boy was unreasonable given the record of wrongful-death cases involving children in South Carolina. However, Hawkins upheld as reasonable the entire $250 million in punitive damages. The 1997 jury award against what was then Chrysler Corp. was at the time one of the largest delivered against a U.S. auto maker. Chrysler merged with German auto makerDaimler-Benz in November 1998.