BONIFAY, FL – Ford Motor Company received a complete verdict in its favor by a Florida state court jury in the case of a woman who died as a result of injuries she suffered in a single car accident in 2002. Her estate claimed the injuries were the result of an inadequately designed seat back in a 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis.

Carlton Fields attorney, Tallahassee associate Christine Davis Graves and former Orlando shareholder Francis M. McDonald, Jr. represented Ford in the case that was filed in the Circuit Court for Holmes County, Florida.

The Plaintiff, Samantha Weir, claimed that her 75-year-old grandmother, Jewell Gunter Johnson, lost control of her Grand Marquis during inclimate weather, went off the highway and slid backwards into a ditch where she struck an embankment. Ms. Johnson died in route to the hospital; it was determined she had sustained a broken neck in addition to other injuries. Wier claimed Ms. Johnson’s injuries were caused by a seat that was not strong enough to withstand the crash forces, and failed to remain upright during the accident. Ford denied these claims, and proved that there was no evidence of a manufacturing defect in the vehicle, nor that Ms. Johnson’s injuries were caused by some defective design of the seat. Ford demonstrated how significant intrusion into the occupant compartment from the unusual forces of the impact caused the rear seat to actually push into the driver’s seat and create a dangerous environment for Ms. Johnson. Additionally, Ford explained how numerous studies demonstrated that car seats that “yield” during crashes are in fact safer than those that remained rigid and upright in most collisions.

Wier filed the lawsuit in 2004 and the case went to trial on February 22, 2010. After a week and a half, the jury returned a defense verdict Ford. The jury deliberated for four hours before reaching its verdict.

"We are pleased with the result for Ford," says McDonald. "The jury’s verdict was well supported by the evidence.”

Graves is a member of the firm’s Appellate Practice & Trial Support and the Government Law & Consulting Practice Groups. She handles all aspects of appellate litigation in state and federal court. She also provides trial support and monitoring assistance during trial.