Lincoln and CVPI have same fire risks Ford Slapped with $43.7 million verdict In Lincoln Town Car Fire Deaths

Madison County, IL—The foreman of a Illinois jury says the panel faulted Ford Motor Co. while reaching a $43.7 million damage verdict in a car crash death case involving a Lincoln Town Car. The Town Car, the Grand Marquis and the Crown Victoria are manufactured on the same platform, making them virtually identical.

The county jury in Fredericktown announced the award Wednesday to the family of John Jablonski. Ford will appeal the verdict.

The 73-year-old man was killed after another car rear-ended his 1993 Lincoln Town Car on Interstate 270 near Granite City in July 2003. Jablonski's wife was severely burned in the fiery crash, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Jury foreman Ed Friedel, 44, said the panel felt the automaker should have issued blanket safety advisories on its vehicles.

"The kicker for me and the other jurors was that the same design of gas tanks in that Town Car had caused fatal fires in police cars. Ford warned the police. They should have warned civilians," he said.

The woman whose car struck the Jablonski vehicle said she was searching for her sunglasses before the collision.

"This was a tragic accident caused by a negligent driver, searching for her sunglasses and plowing into a stationary Town Car at 65 mph," Ford attorney Doug Lampe said.

SOURCE: Washington Times