Trial Activity

Oralia Garcia, Individually and on behalf of Jessica Garcia, Deceased v. Ford Motor Company, Hazel Scaman and Agustin Garcia, Cause No. 2004-04-42099A, in the 107th Judicial District Court of Cameron County, Texas

Jaime A. Saenz and Eduardo Roberto Rodriguez served as two members of a populous nine-member trial team defending Ford in this two-vehicle rollover accident case involving the death of a 16-year-old passenger in a 1993 Ford F-150 single-cab pickup. Plaintiffs contended that alleged defects in the seat belt system and the roof structure of the vehicle caused the partial ejection and death of Ms. Garcia. Ms. Garcia lived unconscious in the hospital for approximately 18 days after the accident. Although the same law firms were involved in this case as those in the Marroquin v. Ford case in Nueces County that was ongoing, the trial court denied Ford¿s motion for a continuance and trial began on September 12, 2005. Mr. Saenz thus joined the trial in progress. There was a one-week delay in the proceedings caused by scheduling conflicts and the arrival of Hurricane Rita (one of Plaintiffs¿ counsel was from the Houston area, and the trial was delayed to accommodate his family¿s hurricane preparations). During that break, a jury was picked by many of the same attorneys in another action, which was set to start in Hidalgo County as soon as this case concluded. Closing arguments occurred on September 30, 2005, and while Mr. Saenz was in trial in the Hidalgo County case on October 3, 2005, the jury rendered a verdict. The jury found Ford 90 % responsible and the driver of the other vehicle 10% responsible and assessed damages at $20,416,476.00, plus $10,000,000.00 in punitive damages (subject to Texas statutory punitive damages caps).