Ford has been ordered to pay $2.5 billion in damages after a jury found the automaker liable for the deaths of a U.S. couple who died in a 2022 accident involving their F-250 Super Duty.
Herman and Debra Mills were driving in Georgia when they lost control of the pickup after striking a drainage culvert hidden by grass. The vehicle flew through the air for almost 25 meters (81 feet) before landing on its roof. Debra Mills died instantly, while her husband succumbed to his injuries nine days later in hospital.
A structural roof-related defect in Super Duty models between 1999 and 2016
Lawyers for the Mills family argued that the F-250's roof was too weak, and that this design flaw had directly caused the victims' deaths. They claimed that all Super Duty pickups manufactured between 1999 and 2016 have “defective and dangerously fragile” roofs.
According to experts, the trucks have a strength-to-weight ratio of just 1:1, whereas the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) requires a minimum of 4.0 for a ‘Good’ safety rating.
Ford countered that its vehicles met the standards in force at the time of manufacture, and it further claimed that Debra Mills had suffered a heart attack, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. This defense failed to convince the jury.
Ford already condemned for similar accidents
This isn't the first time Ford has faced legal action over a roof strength issue. In 2022, the company was ordered to pay $1.7 billion for another fatal accident involving a Super Duty.
Since that first verdict, several lawsuits have been filed against the brand. Despite this new record conviction, Ford continues to maintain that its Super Duty pickups comply with the crash-test standards of their day.
However, given this verdict and the multiple ongoing cases, the automaker could face compensation payments in excess of $30 billion in the years to come.