Ohio Court Reverses $2 Billion Verdict Against Ford

The Ohio Court of Appeals has overturned a verdict that would have forced Ford Motor Co. to pay $2 billion to 3,100 U.S. commercial truck dealers. The court ordered a new trial in the class-action case.

The dealers sued Ford in 2002 for allegedly overcharging them on the wholesale prices of medium- and heavy-duty trucks between 1987 and 1997. In February 2011, a Cleveland jury awarded $4.5 million to one dealership.

In June, a county judge upheld the verdict and ordered Ford to pay similar damages and interest to other dealers in the class-action lawsuit. Bloomberg News estimates that the resulting judgment was at least five times larger than any other verdict against Ford.

The appeals court says the trial judge improperly excluded evidence favorable to Ford. The dealers can request a review of the ruling by the state supreme court.