Jury Finds Ford Liable in Crash

A jury has ordered the Ford Motor Co. to pay more than $61 million to the family of a 17-year-old boy killed in a rollover accident when his friend fell asleep while driving an Explorer.

Ford was liable in the accident because it sold a vehicle with poor handling and stability, the jury said Tuesday. The company plans to appeal, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The family of Lance Crossman Hall claimed Ford knew the Explorer was prone to rollovers and failed to warn consumers about the vehicle’s defects.

“This tragic accident occurred when the driver of the vehicle fell asleep at the wheel while traveling at highway speeds,” Ford spokeswoman Karen Shaughnessy said. “Real-world experience and testing show that the Explorer is a safe vehicle, consistently performing as well as or better than other vehicles in its class.”

The jury ordered Ford to pay the family $1.2 million in damages and $60 million for the pain and suffering of Hall and his mother, Joan Hall-Edwards.