Judge Cuts Jeep Fuel Tank Fire Award to $40 Million
A Georgia jury's award of $150 million to the family of a boy killed in a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV crash and fuel tank fire has been reduced to $40 million by the presiding judge, Reuters reports.
#regulations
A Georgia jury's award of $150 million to the family of a boy killed in a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV crash and fuel tank fire has been reduced to $40 million by the presiding judge, Reuters reports.
But Judge J. Kevin Chason denied a motion by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV to order a new trial. FCA claims the jury was biased and acted irrationally. The judge says the evidence presented against the company was "overwhelming."
The child was killed after the Jeep was rear-ended and its fuel tank caught fire. The plaintiffs argued the position of the fuel tank near the rear bumper was inherently unsafe. FCA, which noted the tank met federal safety standards, tells Reuters it is weighing its legal options.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Rage Against the Machine
There have been more than 20 reported attacks against Waymo’s self-driving fleet in Chandler, Ariz., since the company began testing the technology on public roads there two years ago.
-
CARB Predicts 10x Hike in Fuel Cell Vehicles by 2024
California expects the number of fuel cell-powered vehicles registered in the state will surge to 23,600 units in 2021 from 4,800 through May of this year and reach 47,200 by 2024.
-
Tesla Maxes Out on Tax Credit as U.S. Sales Reach 200,000
Tesla Inc. says it will deliver its 200,000th electric vehicle in the U.S. this month, thereby triggering a phase-out of the $7,500 federal tax credit its vehicles have enjoyed.