Georgia Supreme Court Affirms Trial Court Judgment in Jeep Fire Lawsuit
When Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the company responsible for the “Jeep” brand, put the gas tanks in certain Jeeps right next to the rear bumper, they knowingly put their own customers and their families at risk. Too many men, women, and children have burned to death in Jeep vehicles as a result. One of them was four-year-old Remington Cole Walden, who lost his life on when the Jeep Grand Cherokee that he was riding in was struck in the rear. What should have been a normal car crash with moderate injuries turned into an explosion when the rear gas tank exploded. Remington did not survive the fire. We took his case to trial and obtained a jury verdict of $150 million.
FCA, the manufacturer, denied this obvious defect from the beginning. The defect appeared in several different models, including the 1999-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty, and the 1993-2001 Jeep Cherokee. FCA fought against recalling any of the Jeeps. They denied they had done anything wrong. They asked the court for a new trial. They appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals. Then they appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court.
The Walden family has won at every stage. Yesterday, the family won in the Georgia Supreme Court as the nine justices voted, 9-0, to affirm the judgment of the trial court.
It was a big moment. We are proud of the Walden family for fighting to make sure that other families don’t face similar tragedies as a result of Jeep fires. We thank all the judges who devoted such time and effort to this case.
