Claiming juror misconduct, Ford seeks to overturn settlement it agreed to pay

January 20, 2009

Right out of a Hollywood movie, the dramatic jury note arrived in the courtroom on the third day of deliberations, changing everything for Ford Motor Co. and its legal opponent, a Texas woman paralyzed in a 2002 rollover accident.

“What,” the jury asked, “is the maximum amount that can be awarded?”

Fearing the jury was about to give the Brownsville woman a much larger award, Ford quickly settled the lawsuit for $3 million — about double what the carmaker discussed paying in earlier settlement talks, company lawyers said. So imagine Ford’s surprise upon learning that jurors had been leaning 11-1 in favor of the car company.

What’s more, the lone holdout was presiding juror Cynthia Cortez, who wrote the jury note on her own and sent it to the judge over the objection of several other jurors.

Feeling duped, Ford’s lawyers asked the Brownsville court to void the $3 million settlement as fraudulently obtained. Suspecting juror misconduct, they also asked permission to force Cortez to answer questions under oath.

Read Article: Austen American Statesman

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney