A Sacramento jury found Ford Motor Company responsible to the victims of a rollover crash involving a Ford E350 15 passenger van that experienced a tread separation. The jury found that the 15 passenger vans were dangerously defective and susceptible to loss of control from a tread separation. The jury also determined that Ford had information from its tire supplier, Goodyear, about defective tires that had been installed on the vans, but failed to provide information to owners of the 15 Passenger Vans that the defective Goodyear tires needed to be replaced.
The jury's award included $50 million in punitive damages in addition to $23 million in compensatory damages to the victims of the crash. Greene, Broillet & Wheeler partner Christine Spagnoli represented the family of driver Bill Brownell and injured passenger Alex Bessonov. Sacramento attorney Roger Dreyer, of the Dreyer, Babich, Buccola and Wood firm represented Tony Mauro's widow, Susan Mauro and their children Cody and Michael Mauro.
