A Broward jury on Wednesday ordered the Ford Motor Co. to pay $6 million to a Hialeah man who was paralyzed in an accident in a Ford Aerostar van.
In 2002, Julian Felipe, then 17, was traveling north on Interstate 75 to Sarasota for a family vacation. Felipe's mother was driving the 1993 van when a tire blew out, the van rolled over and the roof caved in. Felipe's neck was broken, paralyzing him.
''In the blink of an eye, he went from going on a vacation to having a serious injury,'' said his attorney, Ervin Gonzalez of Coral Gables.
Ford said it will appeal.
``This was a tragic and severe accident.
''However, there was no credible evidence introduced at trial to support a jury finding that a vehicle defect caused Mr. Felipe's injury,'' said Kristen Kinley, Ford spokeswoman.
According to the lawsuit, Ford knew there was a propensity for vans and trucks to roll over, especially after a tire blew out, and the company failed to provide adequate engineering and safety measures to protect consumers.
After a six-week trial, the six-person jury found that Ford failed to use reasonable care by placing the Aerostar on the market with a defect.
The money awarded is for economic losses, pain and suffering and loss of potential income
Article Copyright © 2007, Miami Herald