$26-Million Verdict Upheld in Ford Crash

A state appeals court Thursday upheld a $26-million verdict against Ford Motor Co. in the case of a driver whose Bronco II sport-utility vehicle flipped in 1996, leaving him a quadriplegic unable to breathe without a ventilator, lawyers said.

In a fresh blow to an auto maker beset by legal troubles, the state’s 1st District Court of Appeal rejected Ford’s argument that the rollover could have been caused by the force of the accident rather than vehicle design.

The three-judge panel then affirmed a $26-million jury verdict made against Ford in 2000--which, according to the plaintiff’s lawyer, is one of the largest assessed against Ford in a Bronco rollover lawsuit.

“They affirmed it completely,” said Paul Nelson, who represented plaintiff Richard Raimondi and his wife in the case. “The court carefully considered and rejected every appellate argument Ford raised.”

Raimondi, a Northern California insurance executive, suffered severe injuries when the Ford Bronco II he was driving rolled over after he swerved to avoid an obstacle.

A Hayward, Calif., jury ruled in March that the suffering of Raimondi and his wife, Dana, was worth more than $51 million in damages. But it concluded that Ford should pay only half that amount because Raimondi was partially responsible for the accident, awarding Raimondi $19.4 million and his wife $6.5 million.

Raimondi, who was 53, died last year several months after the jury verdict of complications from the accident.

Theodore Boutrous, a lawyer for Ford, told reporters no decision had been made on a possible further appeal.