Mexican Media Brands
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
Share
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
-
China Targets 7 Million Annual NEV Sales by 2025
The Chinese government is targeting annual sales of electric and plug-in cars at 7 million units by 2025—nine times last year’s volume.
-
Self-Driving Chevy Bolt Ticketed for Driving Too Close to Pedestrian
Police in San Francisco ticketed the backup driver in a self-driving Chevrolet Bolt for allowing the car to drive too close to a pedestrian in a crosswalk in San Francisco.
-
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.