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Ford Must Pay $6.5 Million in Rollover Verdict
February 06, 2008

Ford Motor Company is back in the legal headlines again this week, after a Texas jury ruled that the automaker had to pay a 41-year-old brain damaged man $6.5 million in damages.

The man in question, Robert Zamora, was driving a Ford Explorer, which is the sport utility vehicle that has been the subject of such fierce legislation in recent years. On the day of the crash, Zamora, who was driving with his mother, lost control of the SUV when a tire lost its tread. His mother says the loss of the tire tread caused vibrations, which lead to the SUV skating sideways and rolling over. Zamora was ejected from his seat, and suffered severe brain injuries. He remains brain damaged, and will have to depend on care for the rest of his life.

Ford Motor Company of course, has been quick to deny any wrongdoing. A spokesperson said that it was "unfair" to blame the company for the accident or for Mr. Zamora's injuries. Nothing new there either. When it comes to its notorious rollovers, Ford has a tendency to point fingers at everybody but itself, and this is no different. Run along now people, there's nothing to watch here, is the general attitude of top brass.

This loss of control and rollover of Ford Explorers is hardly new. Yet again, we are faced with the same tragedies, the usual loss of lives or shattering of dreams. And yet again we are faced with Ford's non-admission of a shred of responsibility.

One of the reasons they have come up with to deny Zamora his dues (they are planning to appeal the verdict) is that he wasn't belted properly at the time of the crash. Zamora was a disabled oil field worker, who had been using a shoulder version of the belt which had been modified by the previous owner of the Explorer.

The seat belt here had nothing to do with the vehicle's rollover. When it comes to Ford's Explorer, it's always the defective vehicle at fault. There isn't a lot that you can do when a close to 5000 pound SUV loses control, begins to skid and skate all over the place, and finally rolls over with you inside it, or under it if you've been ejected. You could be harnessed, or even nailed to your seat and would still suffer severe injuries, if not actually lose your life.

The point here isn't whether Zamora was belted or not. The point is when does Ford come clean, and admit that not only has it messed up, but has been doing so for a while now? When do we get to hear any admission of guilt? When does this company, the second largest automaker in the country, say, "Yes, we were wrong. We have been letting vehicles roll out of showrooms knowing full well that there were defects that could cause grievous harm or death?" In short, when can we expect a Mitsubishi style act of justice?

Although justice certainly seems to be headed Ford's way. The Honda CR-V officially dethroned the Explorer as the most widely sold SUV in the country, and Ford's sales of its star SUV have been declining sharply since 2002. A case of you can fool some of the people some of the time...?

Ford has been allowed to get away far too often with its lame pleas of "Our vehicles are the finest; it was everybody else's fault". It has to stop somewhere, before more people are left brain damaged.

If you have suffered brain damage or injured in any way in a vehicle rollover, you need the help of a top California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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