Texas Man Loses Product Liability Case Against Ford

After a month and a half of testimony, a jury in Jefferson County found that Ford Motor Company was not responsible for the car accident and injuries suffered by a Texas man in 2004.
In the Texas products liability case, Kenneth Holmes claimed that the injuries he sustained in a car accident while driving his 1995 Ford Ranger were the direct causes of a design flaw in the vehicle. The accident took place in March of 2003, when Holmes and friend Guillermo Cardona were in the vehicle and it rolled over. Holmes said that he suffered a head injury.
The jury found that Ford was not negligent and that their product was not defective; that is, that Ford was in no way to blame for Holmes’ accident or injuries.
When talking with reporters after the case, jurors said that they believed Ford’s expert witnesses were more believable. Several also stated that they doubted the medical expert on Holmes’ side of the case, who admitted that he was paid $12,000 to testify. Holmes, who said he was injured seriously and permanently after the crash, did not seek medical attention directly after the accident and did not see any medical until the law firm referred him to a doctor they often use in trials.
Holmes was seeking damages for mental anguish, medical expenses, and lost wages, while his wife Helen Holmes was seeking damages for loss of consortium.