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FCA Wants Retrial in $150 Million Jeep Fuel Tank Verdict
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has filed a motion for a new trial after a jury in Georgia awarded $150 million to the family of a 4-year-old boy who died when the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding in was rear-ended and burst into flames.
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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has filed a motion for a new trial after a jury in Georgia awarded $150 million to the family of a 4-year-old boy who died when the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding in was rear-ended and burst into flames.
FCA describes the April verdict as "grossly excessive," Reuters reports. The carmaker notes that the jury's $30 million award for pain and suffering and $120 million wrongful death award are, respectively, more than four times and 11 times as large as any in Georgia's history.
The jury found the company 99% responsible for the death, agreeing with plaintiff's claim that the Jeep's fuel tank was too vulnerable to puncture in a rear impact. The jury assigned 1% of the blame to the pickup truck driver who rear-ended the car.
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