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RANCHO CUCAMONGA — A jury has awarded a woman $23.4 million in a civil judgment against Ford Motor Co. for a 2007 freeway accident that left her a quadriplegic.
Cynthia Castillo lost control of her 1997 Ford Explorer when the tread separated from her left-rear tire as she drove on the freeway.
Her attorney, Brian Brandt, said the SUV veered off the freeway and rolled three times down an embankment, leaving her legs and most of her body paralyzed. Flaws in the vehicle's design caused it to lose control when the tire tread separates, Brandt said.
Then 38, Castillo's life changed dramatically after the accident, he said.
"She was a cute-looking girl with a young daughter," Brandt said. "She had her whole life ahead of her. Now she's confined to a bed."
Warren Platt, an attorney representing Ford, however, said the accident was caused by a used worn-out tire that Castillo put on her vehicle, and had nothing to do with any design flaws.
"From a design standpoint, a manufacturer cannot design a vehicle to overcome the change and characteristics that come with a de-treading tire," Platt said. "Vehicles all react pretty much the same way to a de-treading tire."
The jury returned Thursday with a unanimous verdict in Castillo's favor.
Ford has said it plans to appeal the decision.
