A federal court jury in Jackson returned a defense verdict Friday afternoon in a products liability trial against Ford Motor Co. The case involved the 2005 roll-over accident of a Ford Expedition SUV in which the teenage driver (Marion Hankins of Yazoo City) was ejected through the sun roof. It was a one vehicle accident and… Continue Reading
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With the Brian Cole v. Ford lawsuit Settled, The Knife Fight Begins
Posted in GeneralThe Clarion-Ledger ran this article on Saturday about Jackson lawyer Wayne Farrell’s lawsuit against Arkansas lawyer Tab Turner. The case is a fee dispute among lawyers over the presumed multi-million dollar settlement in the Jasper County Cole v. Ford Motor lawsuit that resulted in a $132 million jury verdict. The case settled shortly after the verdict.… Continue Reading
Gov. Barbour Appoints D.A. Eddie Bowen to Replace Judge Evans
Posted in Politics in MississippiOn Monday Gov. Barbour’s office announced the appointment of District Attorney Eddie Bowen to replace the late Judge Robert Evans as circuit judge in the 13th District (Covington, Jasper, Smith and Simpson counties). Bowen had been the D.A. for the district since 1999. Perhaps most importantly, Bowen’s D.A. experience gives him name recognition in the district. That will presumably… Continue Reading
Final Count in Brian Cole Verdict: $131 million for Cole, $1.5 million for Survivor Passenger
Posted in Verdicts in MississippiThe Brian Cole verdict against Ford Motor Co. is on the front page of today’s Clarion-Ledger. Here is the article. A Ford spokesperson is quoted in the article as saying that the trial was unfair. Judge Billy Joe Landrum was the trial judge and he conducted the trial in Laurel with a Paulding jury. The article identifies… Continue Reading
$135 Million Jury Verdict in Cole v. Ford Motor Co. Trial
Posted in Verdicts in MississippiA Jasper County jury returned a $135 million verdict [I reported earlier that it was $130 million, then $235 million] today in the case against Ford Motor Co. involving the death of New York Mets prospect Brian Cole. I am not sure whether there were punitive damages. Update: I am confident now that the verdict… Continue Reading
Cole v. Ford Motor Co. in Trial for Third Time
Posted in GeneralThe third trial involving the 2001 death of former New York Mets prospect Brian Cole is taking place before Judge Billy Joe Landrum in Laurel or Paulding (I have heard both). Ford Motor Co. is the defendant. The lawsuit alleges defects in a seatbelt and a propensity of an Explorer to roll-over. Two prior trials resulted in… Continue Reading
Update: Recent Ford Trial was Second Hung Jury in Jasper County Case
Posted in Verdicts in MississippiLast week I reported a hung jury in a Jones County Ford Motor Co. trial. The case was actually tried in the Paulding district of Jasper County. Jones County Circuit Judge Billy Joe Landrum presided over the trial because Judge Robert Evans recused himself from the case. This was the second trial for this case. The… Continue Reading
Hung Jury in Jones County Ford Motor Co. Trial
Posted in Verdicts in MississippiOn Thursday Circuit Judge Billy Joe Landrum declared a mistrial after a Jones County Circuit Court jury was unable to reach a verdict in a products liability trial against Ford Motor Co. The trial lasted for several weeks. Baker Donelson and out-of-state lawyers represented Ford. I do not yet know who represented the plaintiffs or the… Continue Reading