Trial Activity

LCPL Alfonso Gonzalez, Jr. et al. ; Noemi Rodriguez Valdez, et al. and Noemi Chaverria et al. v. Ford Motor Company, et al., Cause No. DC-02-332 in the 229th Judicial District of Duval County, Texas.

Partner Jaime A. Saenz successfully represented Ford Motor Company as a Defendant in this multiple-death fire case involving an accident between a 1997 Ford F-150 and a 2001 Ford Mustang. Occupants of both Ford vehicles died in the accident, and Plaintiffs' and Intervenors' counsel claimed that they burned to death due to product defects in the vehicles' fuel systems. The case included Plaintiffs' attempt to claim that the failure of a vehicle to come equipped with a fire suppression system constituted a defect. The case began on January 12, 2004, and due to the circuit court system in Duval County, testimony was heard in several sessions over the next six weeks. Closing arguments were held on February 27, 2004, and jury deliberations took place on March 1, 2004, culminating in a complete defense verdict. The jury found no defect in the vehicles, and placed 100% of the responsibility on the individual driver who caused the accident. The case later settled for a confidential amount while on appeal as filed by Plaintiffs.