1999: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
It was a jury verdict for the record books--$4.9 billion against General Motors in a civil case involving four children who were severely burned when the gas tank of a 1979 Chevy Malibu exploded in flames when rammed from behind by a drunk driver.
Legal experts said in July that the jury’s staggering money award would never stand--and sure enough, six weeks later a judge pruned the $4.8-billion punitive damages verdict by $3 billion.
Still, the numbers were breathtaking: $107 million to Patricia Anderson, her children and neighbor Jo Tigner for pain and disfigurement, and $1.09 billion in punitive damages. GM, which insists the Chevy Malibu is safe, is appealing.
The most seriously injured child, Alisha, shown here at a news conference, lost the fingers of one hand and underwent numerous operations and skin grafts.
Jurors found that GM had placed profits over public safety, citing two internal memos that indicated it was cheaper for the company to settle lawsuits than to make safer cars.
Anderson, the children and Tigner were coming home from church services on Christmas Eve 1993, when a drunk driver plowed into their car at a light at 89th and Figueroa streets.
