Jury Awards $19M to Arkansas Man Who Sued Ford

October 21, 2010

A federal jury in Jonesboro, Ark., has awarded $19 million to a Walnut Ridge man who sued Ford Motor Co., claiming that he was paralyzed in a car wreck because his seat belt was defective in his 1998 Windstar van.

Eric Polston was paralyzed from the waist down and in one arm after the 2005 crash in which his van rolled over and Polston was ejected from the vehicle. Polston says he was wearing his seat belt and that a defect in the buckle caused it to release, throwing him from the van.

Jurors agreed with Polston and awarded him $19 million in damages.

Ford argued that the vehicle was not defective and that the company wasn’t liable for Polston’s injuries.