What Happened in the Richard Grimshaw Case?
Once the Gray family and Richard Grimshaw’s cases were consolidated, a preliminary ruling found that the Gray family was not allowed to pursue punitive damages for the wrongful death of Lilly Gray.
Arguments in the Grimshaw v. Ford Case
The plaintiffs in the case argued that the Ford Motor Company had knowingly manufactured and distributed a vehicle that was prone to explosions when rear-ended, a form of corporate malice, in order to prioritize profits over safety.
The defendants denied wrongdoing, arguing that they could not foresee their design leading to death and permanent disfigurement, and that the design of the Ford Pinto met safety standards of the time.
Evidence in the Ford Pinto Personal Injury Case
Internal documents from Ford Motor Company showed that Ford “secretly crash-tested the Pinto more than forty times before it went on the market and that the Pinto’s fuel take ruptured in every test performed at speeds over twenty-five miles per hour,” according to the American Museum of Tort Law.
Additionally, witness testimony from design employees show that the production of the Pinto was rushed, and had unrealistic parameters: It had to be under $2,000 and under $2,000 pounds. The witness testimony also uncovered the fact that Lee Iacocca, the president of Ford Motor Company, was more focused on sales than safety.
Jury Award for Grimshaw v. Ford
In February of 1978, an Orange County, California jury found Ford liable for $2,516,000 in compensatory damages to Grimshaw and $559,680 to the Gray family. The verdict also included $125,000,000 in punitive damages awarded to Grimshaw for the case. The Gray family was denied the ability to seek punitive damages.
Final Judgement for Ford v. Grimshaw
The final judgement came from the judge in the trial, upholding the compensatory damages awarded at $2,516,000 to Grimshaw and $559,680 to the Gray family; however, the judge reduced the punitive damage award to $3,500,000, the largest punitive damage award given in the state of California at the time.
Did Ford Appeal the Grimshaw Judgement?
Yes. Ford, Grimshaw, and the Gray Family appealed the final judgement.
Ford appealed based on alleged legal errors in the case, contending “that the punitive award was statutorily unauthorized and constitutionally invalid.”
The Gray family appealed in order to seek punitive damages.
Grimshaw cross-appealed, arguing against the need for another trial.
In the end, the California appellate court upheld the original final judgement in 1981.
Did the Ford Pinto Lawsuit Change Anything?
Publicity from the Grimshaw v. Ford case led to a Mother Jones New Magazine article entitled Pinto Madness, by Mark Dowie in 1977. This led to the Center for Auto Safety to petition the National Highway Traffic Administration to conduct an extensive investigation through its Office of Defect Investigations. While it may not be directly attributed to the Grimshaw v. Ford case, Ford Motor Company recalled 1,500,000 Ford Pintos in 1978, six years after Lilly Gray lost her life and Richard Grimshaw’s life was changed forever.
What Made Grimshaw v. Ford Unique?
Ford Pinto explosions in the 1970s were not uncommon due to a design flaw in the fuel tank and multiple layers of negligence during design and production. As a matter of fact, hundreds of lawsuits were made against Ford based on the design flaws of the Pinto.
However, Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Company ended in highest payout for punitive damages in California at that time: $3.5 million, reduced after a jury awarded $125 million.