Courts Awards Women 10.6 Million in Ford Explorer Throttle Plate Defect

Edison, NJ, August 06, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Rebekah Zakrocki-Parks, 28, was injured in the morning of November 10, 2000, when the throttle on her 1997 Ford Explorer became stuck while she was on her way to work on the Garden State Parkway. When the gas pedal became unstuck, the vehicle surged forward and rolled over, causing her arm to become crushed and partially amputated when it was ejected through the sunroof during the rollover.

This case was tried by Barry Eichen with the assistance of Jack Sanders of the law firm EICHEN LEVINSON & CRUTCHLOW in Edison and Stephen Lowry, Esq. of Harris, Penn & Lowry in Savannah . They claimed that there was a design defect in the throttle of the 1997 Ford Explorer that allowed sludging to accumulate on the throttle plate inside the throttle, which would cause the plate to stick closed while the vehicle was being driven. They sued Ford Motor Company and Freehold Ford, alleging that the automaker and its dealer knew from prior customer complaints that drivers were experiencing surging related to the throttles as early as 1996, and that accidents were occurring when drivers applied extra pressure to their gas pedals to overcome the accumulation of sludging, and that the throttle defect posed an even more significant danger in the Ford Explorer, because SUVs, which have a higher center of gravity than most passenger vehicles, are more prone to rollover in emergency situations.

After the accident, Rebekah was hospitalized at Jersey Shore Medical Center where reconstructive surgery was performed on her arm. In total, over 20 surgeries were performed on her arm and shoulder in order to reattach her arm.

The jury deliberated for two days following a four week trial in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Jamie Happas before announcing its verdict.

Eichen, Levinson & Crutchlow is a trial law firm in Edison, New Jersey that handles cases involving catastrophic personal injury, mass torts, class actions, and consumer fraud litigation. Over the past two years, the firm has won over $50,000,000 in jury verdicts for clients in cases including slip and fall accidents, victims of medical malpractice, product defects, workplace injuries and auto accidents.

Docket No. L-10179-02

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