Liability Judgment Against Ford Upheld

Oklahoma’s Supreme Court has upheld a multimillion-dollar verdict against Ford Motor Co. in a case charging the No. 2 auto maker built and sold an “unreasonably dangerous vehicle” because of an allegedly defective seat belt in a Ford Ranger pickup truck.

The product liability case was brought by the parents of Ricky Johnson, 19, who suffered severe injuries including permanent brain damage when his truck careened off a road near his home in Tecumseh, Okla., in June 1997 and plowed into the bottom of a creek.

With interest compounded since the first ruling against it, Ford must now pay Johnson and his family more than $6.5 million, according to Lydia JoAnn Barrett, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys.

Johnson’s parents argued his injuries were caused when the sharp edge of his seat belt latch plate cut through the belt during the crash, rendering it useless and allowing him to slam his head into the vehicle.

Ford has long denied any responsibility for Johnson’s injuries, arguing that there was nothing wrong with the seat belt.