Ford says recordings exist of jurors discussing verdict from a previous F-150 rollover case despite the judge warning them not to
July 4, 2025 at 12:40
- Ford is demanding a new trial in the case of a couple crushed when their F-250 flipped over.
- The family of Debra and Herman Mills was awarded $2.5 bn by a court in February 2025.
- Ford now says recordings prove jurors discussed an earlier case against the judges’ orders.
A fatal rollover crash involving a Ford Super Duty pickup continues to fuel legal battles, as Ford challenges a massive verdict handed down last year. Five months after a jury ordered the company to pay $2.5 billion to the family of a couple killed in one of its trucks, Ford now says it has uncovered new evidence that could warrant a complete retrial.
Related: Ford Must Pay $2.5 Billion To Family Of Couple Killed In Rollover Crash
Debra and Herman Mills were fatally injured when their F-250 flipped over in 2022, and the Mills’ family successfully sued the automaker, alleging the deaths could have been prevented if the 2015 Super Duty truck’s roof had been stronger.
Ford Cites New Evidence, Plaintiffs Push Back
After the verdict, Ford alleged that the trial had not been conducted fairly because some jurors had discussed a topic the judge had specifically told them to stay away from. That topic was the verdict in a previous rollover case in which Ford managed to reverse a decision to award the plaintiffs $1.7 bn.
Now, Ford says it has recordings that prove those discussions took place and suggests the conversations could have had an impact on jury deliberations. But the plaintiffs argue that not only should Ford have provided the recordings months ago, before the March 14 deadline to file a motion for a new trial had passed, but that the recordings are worthless anyway, Car Complaints reports.
The plaintiffs claim that anything contained in post-trial recordings is merely hearsay and doesn’t carry the weight of a sworn testimony. It also suggests that allowing a court to “receive” such recordings would be to open a real can of legal worms. “Once that bell is rung, it cannot be unrung,” the plaintiffs argue.
A Broader Pattern of Roof Collapse Claims
Ford has been battling complaints of weak F-series roof structures since 2014, and was hit with another lawsuit in March after Steven Horn was killed when a gust of wind turned his F-350 and trailer upside down. Horn’s wife, Jamie, and their daughter managed to escape from the wreckage, but the roof collapsed over Horn.
The $1.7 billion case involved the deaths of Melvin and Voncile Hill, who died after a tire blew out, causing their F-250 to roll over three times. Ford appealed the verdict, arguing it had evidence that Mr. Hill requested Pep Boys install an incorrect tire and that the court should have allowed proof that the Hills allegedly tucked their seatbelts under their arms. The Georgia Appeals Court vacated the jury’s $1.7 billion verdict and judgment, and both parties will face a new trial.
