Ford Faces Trial Over Claim Defective Roof Design Killed Two People
Jury selection is underway for the trial against Ford Motor Co. for the role it may have played in the April 2014 rollover crash deaths of a Georgia couple.
March 23, 2018
March 23, 2018—Jury selection is underway with the trial against Ford Motor Co. for the role it may have played in the April 2014 rollover crash deaths of a Georgia couple, reportedCourtroom View Network.
Melvin and Voncile Hill were killed after a tire on their 2002 Ford Super Duty F-250 Crew Cab pickup truck allegedly separated on SR 49 in Americus, Ga., causing it to roll over and crush the roof.
According to the complaint filed in the case, Ford knew the roof's design did not meet its own target strength numbers after computer testing. Yet, in an effort to reduce production costs, the company altered the design, which further weakened the roofs of its 1999-2007 models.
The Hills' rollover crash was caused when the wrong tire installed at a Ga. Pep Boys service center separated, according to the complaint. While the Hills have resolved their claim against Pep Boys and the company is not a defendant at trial, any part it played in the Hills’ deaths is expected to factor into the case.
