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Remedies Keyed to Tabb, 8th
Wangen v. Ford Motor Company
Citation:
97 Wis. 2d 260, 294 N.W.2d 437 (1980)Facts
The plaintiffs were occupants of a 1967 Ford Mustang that was stopped at an intersection when struck from behind by another vehicle driven by Patrick Hawley. The impact pushed the Mustang into the opposite lane where it collided with a car driven by Thomas Curran. The Mustang’s fuel tank ruptured, causing a fire that severely injured all occupants and killed two (Christopher DuVall and Kip Wangen). Plaintiffs alleged Ford knew the fuel tanks on 1967 Mustangs were dangerously defective before and after manufacture based on tests conducted as early as 1964. Ford allegedly made corrective design changes in later models but failed to warn users of the 1967 model or recall the vehicles, deliberately choosing to avoid the costs of recall and repair and the accompanying negative publicity. Plaintiffs sought compensatory damages based on negligence and strict liability, plus punitive damages for Ford’s alleged intentional, reckless, willful, wanton, and malicious conduct.
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