DETROIT – A federal judge largely upheld claims in a class-action lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. alleging it designed and sold millions of Super Duty trucks with dangerously weak roofs prone to collapse in a rollover crash, according to attorneys at Hagens Berman.

In the 37-page order, issued Sept. 30, 2024, U.S. District Judge Brandy R. McMillion granted claims of violations of consumer protection laws, unjust enrichment and fraudulent concealment to proceed in represented states, stating, “the Court finds Plaintiffs have adequately alleged Ford had a duty to disclose the defect with respect to each Plaintiff.”

“We believe Ford’s actions reveal that the automaker is more interested in protecting its bottom line than its customers,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman. “Its Super Duty trucks were marketed as ‘Built Ford Tough,’ but evidence shows that Ford continually downgraded key structural features of the roof design to cut costs, leaving drivers to face the dire consequences in a rollover event.”

The class-action lawsuit, originally filed on Sept. 2, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges Ford lobbied to reduce government standards for roof strength testing procedures and subsequently “weakened almost every component of the roof structure to save money,” according to the complaint. Allegedly, an estimated 5.2 million trucks have been equipped with the same defective roof.

The complaint states Ford’s internal documents, pre-launch testing and public reports of fatal accidents prove Ford was aware of the roof collapse risk well before its trucks hit the market yet failed to warn consumers.

If you own or lease a 1999-2016 Ford Super Duty truck, you may be entitled to compensation. Find out more about your rights in the class-action lawsuit against Ford.

Risk of Catastrophic Injury or Death

In addition to the class-action lawsuit, Hagens Berman’s personal injury lawyers have been retained to file injury claims on behalf of Ford Super Duty owners, accusing the automaker of negligence and wrongful conduct.

Reports indicate that the weak roof design in affected Super Duty trucks puts drivers and passengers at significant risk of catastrophic injury, including paralysis and death, if their vehicle is involved in a rollover and that it directly contributes to the severity of injuries.

According to recent reports, Ford has faced more than a hundred lawsuits and dozens of similar incidents of roof crush involving the 1999-2016 Super Duty trucks, in addition to a historic $1.7 billion jury verdict in 2022 that followed the deaths of Melvin and Vocile Hill, who died after their Ford-250 pickup truck collapsed during a rollover crash.

If you or a loved one were injured in a rollover accident involving an affected Ford Super Duty truck, speak to an attorney about your rights, contact our personal injury legal team for a confidential case review.

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About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with offices in nine cities. The firm has been named to the National Law Journal’s Plaintiffs’ Hot List seven times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Find the firm on Twitter @ClassActionLaw.

Contacts
Ash Klann
206-268-9363
[email protected]