Schultz v. Ford Motor Company

857 N.E.2d 977 (2006)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

P lost control of his 1995 Ford Explorer when it hit a patch of black ice. The Explorer rolled over, eventually coming to rest upright. P was wearing his seatbelt. During the accident, the roof of the Explorer collapsed snapping P's neck and rendering him a quadriplegic. Ps sued D. D alleged that the Explorer complied with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 216. The court instructed the jury that if D complied with Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 216 then you may presume that Ford Motor Company was not negligent in its design of the 1995 Ford Explorer and that the 1995 Ford Explorer was not defective. However, P may rebut this presumption if they introduced evidence tending to show that the 1995 Ford Explorer was defective. D got the verdict. The Court of Appeals reversed holding that the instruction given was improper. This appeal resulted.