MARSHALL - The surviving spouse of a deceased Gregg County woman has filed a lawsuit against Ford, claiming that his wife died because her Expedition failed to protect her in a frontal collision.
Gordon Huyser, individually and as representative of the Estate of Nancy Gwen Huyser, deceased, filed suit against Ford Motor Co. on April 18 in the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.
According to the suit, the crash occurred on Nov. 8, 2011, when a 1991 GM pickup truck was traveling south on FM-2276 and crossed over the center line into the northbound lane of the highway, striking a 1999 Ford Expedition operated by Huyser. Although Huyser was properly wearing her seat belt, she sustained fatal head and neck injuries in the frontal offset collision, the suit states.
The defendant is accused of strict liability and negligence for defectively designing, manufacturing, assembling, marketing and distributing the Expedition light truck vehicle.
According to the lawsuit, the Expedition model body collapses in frontal offset collisions and the frame collapses forcing the door to pop open allowing excessive intrusion into the occupant compartment and causing fatal head and neck injuries, and the driver’s seatbelt occupant restraint system or components fails to reasonably restrain occupants like Huyser in frontal offset collision.
The plaintiff is seeking an award of wrongful death damages and survival damages for loss of companionship and society, pecuniary loss, pain and mental anguish, medical expenses, exemplary damages, court costs, attorney’s fees and interest.
Huyser is represented by T. John Ward Jr. and Akilah F. Craig of Ward & Smith Law Firm in Longview and Lee Brown of The Brown Law Firm in Dallas. A jury trial is requested.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap is assigned to the case.
Case No. 2:13-cv-00280
Husband sues Ford following wife’s death in head-on collision
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY