Appeals Court Upholds Lopsided Award Against Ford Motor Co.

An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a product liability verdict against Ford Motor for $8 million in compensatory damages and $42,050 in punitives, despite the plaintiff's contention that the award was lopsided because Ford's lawyer was allowed to tell jurors about the carmaker's financial straits and layoffs. Though the panel found counsel for both sides said things they should not have, it upheld the verdict because a lower court judge gave curative instructions and there was no prejudicial impact.