Jesus De Los Santos, Jr., et al v. Ford Motor Company, et al
Partners Jaime A. Saenz and Derek T. Rollins defended Ford Motor Company against two plaintiffs and a cross-plaintiff suing Ford in a rollover case for the alleged manufacturing and design defects of a 2005 Ford F-150. Plaintiffs contended that the truck’s right rear axle fractured due to friction-only forces during a yaw, leading to the rollover and subsequent ejection and death of one of its occupants. Another occupant, the brother of the decedent, was uninjured in the crash but sued for bystander damages. The cross-plaintiff driver, also uninjured, sued Ford for mental anguish following the crash. Ford argued that the rollover was caused by the unlicensed driver’s inexperience and poor driving, and that the axle fractured during the rollover after impacting the roadway. Trial began with jury selection on April 7, 2014 and lasted nearly two weeks. The jury returned a defense verdict on April 17, 2014.
