Fiat Chrysler has been ordered to pay $150 million for the death of a four-year-old.
The child died in a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee during in a crash in 2012. The Grand Cherokee had a rear fuel tank that wasn’t part of the 1.56-million unit recall Jeep carried out because the tanks were especially prone to igniting after a rear impact collision. The trial took place in Decatur County, Georgia and was nearly two weeks long with the jury saying that Chrysler acted with “reckless and wanton disregard,” ordering the company to pay 99 percent of the damages. Responsible for the remaining one percent of the damages is the driver of the vehicle that rear-ended the Grand Cherokee.
SEE ALSO: NHTSA Ends Investigation into Jeep Gas Tank Fires
In 2013, Chrysler announced a recall on 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty SUVs while it conducted a “customer satisfaction campaign” for the 1999-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees. At first, Chrysler denied there was a safety issue but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had linked over 50 deaths to fuel-tank issues.
[Source: Automotive News]
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