Fiat Chrysler has lost an appeal of a multi-million-dollar jury award in the crash of a Jeep that burst into flames.
The Georgia State Supreme Court unanimously upheld a $40 million award to the family of a four-year-old boy killed in 2012 when the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee in which he was riding was rear-ended.
The jury agreed with the family’s lawyers, who said the placement of the fuel tank made it vulnerable to burst into flames in rear-end crashes.
The tank on the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee was behind the rear axle. The court ruling said Chrysler knew that was dangerous, and that industry trends favored putting the tanks in front of the rear axle.
Fiat Chrysler contended the fire did not cause the death of the child, that it was the other driver that hit the vehicle.
Fiat Chrysler recalled hundreds of thousands of Jeeps to install trailer hitches to protect the gas tanks, although the company maintained there was no safety issue.