Decatur County Jury Awards $150,000,000 in Rear-End Product Liability Death

In March 2012, a four-year-old passenger died from burn injuries after a motor vehicle collision in Bainbridge, Georgia. The child was traveling in a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it was rear-ended by a Dodge Dakota truck. Although the drivers were uninjured, the Jeep’s rear-mounted fuel tank ruptured and ignited, trapping the child inside the burning vehicle.

The passenger's parents filed a lawsuit in Decatur County, Georgia Superior Court against the vehicle manufacturer and the striking driver. They asserted negligence claims against the striking driver. Against the manufacturer, they alleged willful and reckless disregard for safety and failure to warn, claiming it had knowledge since the 1960s that placing a fuel tank in a vehicle's crush zone made it vulnerable to post-collision fires. The plaintiffs contended the manufacturer knew redesigning the fuel tank placement was feasible and safer but chose not to act.

During the trial, the parties disputed the severity of the crash impact. Plaintiffs' counsel argued it was a low-impact collision, while the manufacturer’s counsel maintained it was severe. Following deliberations, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs on all claims. The jury attributed 99% of the liability to the vehicle manufacturer and 1% to the striking driver.

The jury awarded the plaintiffs $30,000,000 for pain and suffering and $120,000,000 for the child's life, totaling $150,000,000. The manufacturer later stated it was considering an appeal, noting that the jury was prevented from considering extensive data submitted to federal regulators, which formed the basis for a determination that the vehicle model did not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.