Stupidity Nets $61 Million Prize

Call Me Insensitive...

A Florida Jury generously handed out $61 million of Ford Motor Company's money this week. Same song, different verse--mean old Ford's SUV's will roll over when handled by inexperienced teen drivers.

MIAMI -- A jury ordered the Ford Motor Co. to pay more than $61 million to the family of a 17-year-old boy killed in a roll-over that occurred when his friend dozed off behind the wheel of an Explorer.

Ford was liable in the accident because it sold a vehicle with poor handling and stability, the jury determined...

Hall was reclining in the front passenger seat and wearing his seat belt when the Explorer rolled over four times on State Road 93 in Collier County on April 20, 1997. He was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

OK, help me get this story straight.

You're laying down in the front seat of your dad's SUV, with your shoulder harness flapping in the breeze doing nothing, heading home late after a evening of pimple faced partying.

Your friend, who is supposed to be in charge of driving, falls asleep at the wheel going down the highway at 60 or so miles per hour.

Summoning every ounce of experience from his two years of driving experience, your friend manages to turn the SUV sideways, whereupon it proceeds to roll four times, throwing your scrawney butt out of the vehicle onto the pavement.

When the dust settles and the blue lights stop flashing--YOU'RE DEAD.

How is it that not one but THREE potentially fatal errors (handing a SUV to a teen, a teen laying down in the seat, and a teen falling asleep at the wheel) nets no liability for the teens or the parents in court?

Is it really all Fords fault?

Not $61,000,000 worth...