In September, the Southeast Texas Record reported that the family of Cassandra Holcombe filed suit against Ford Motor Co., alleging its 1997 Explorer was defectively designed and sold.
Holcombe's children and her husband, Timothy, filed the suit Aug. 27 in Jefferson County District Court.
On Oct. 12 filed its notice of removal, removing the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division.
According to the original petition, on July 13, 2009, Holcombe was driving a 1997 Ford Explorer on the Eastex Freeway in Beaumont when "she lost control of the vehicle and ultimately rolled over."
"She was wearing her seatbelt, but was nonetheless ejected from the vehicle and died in the hospital from her injuries the next day," the suit states. "There was no tire failure or tripping mechanism to cause the vehicle to roll. Rather, the vehicle rolled due to ... inherent instability."
In their suit, the Holcombe family accuses Ford of negligently manufacturing a defective vehicle and then placing it into the stream of commerce.
They are suing for punitive damages and wrongful death and survival damages.
The plaintiffs are represented by Dallas attorney George Parker Jr. of Jim S. Adler & Associates.
Ford is represented by Sugar Land attorney Deborah Bullion.
Jefferson County case No. A187-800