Jury awards $152M to Ford Explorer rollover survivor

The jury found that Ford 'acted wantonly' in designing the 1998 Explorer.

An Alabama jury has handed down a nearly $152 million award to the survivor of a rollover crash involving a 1998 Ford Explorer.

Jurors determined that Ford "acted wantonly" in designing the Explorer, which did not meet the company's own internal safety guidelines, according to a court document reviewed by Reuters.

Lawyers representing Travaris Smith say he was riding in the Explorer when the driver swerved to miss an animal in the road, causing the SUV to roll several times and leaving him paralyzed.

"Our sympathy goes out to Travaris Smith and his family," the company said in a statement. "At the same time, we disagree with the jury's conclusion in this case as well as with a series of rulings by the Alabama court that kept the jury from hearing critical evidence - and will appeal."

Notably, U-Haul has maintained a long-standing ban on renting trailers to be towed behind older Explorers. The company has blamed the rule on "excessive costs in defending lawsuits involving Ford Explorer towing combinations."