A grieving mother has taken legal action against a major automobile manufacturer and a local dealership, alleging that their negligence led to her son's tragic death. Deborah Ann King filed the complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, on July 30, 2024, accusing Ford Motor Company and Tiffany Motor Company of producing and selling a defective vehicle that resulted in her son Anthony Contreras' fatal accident.
The case revolves around a devastating incident that occurred on May 16, 2023. Anthony Contreras was driving his 2008 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat northbound on State Route 17 in Los Gatos, California. While attempting to pass a semi-tractor trailer, he lost control of the vehicle, which rolled over onto its roof. The accident left Anthony with catastrophic injuries, including a traumatic brain injury that led to his death the following day. He was just 29 years old at the time.
Deborah Ann King is suing Ford Motor Company (FMC), Tiffany Motor Company (TMC), doing business as Greenwood Ford, and several unnamed defendants (DOES 1 through 75). She alleges that FMC designed and manufactured the vehicle with significant defects, while TMC sold it without adequate inspection or warning about its potential dangers. "The vehicle lacked sufficient structural integrity in the roof structure to withstand and protect an occupant during reasonably foreseeable roll-over accidents," the complaint states.
King's lawsuit claims strict product liability and negligent product liability against all named defendants. She argues that both FMC and TMC were aware of these defects but failed to take necessary actions to rectify them or warn consumers. The suit details how the vehicle's design flaws—including inadequate roof strength and faulty restraint systems—made it unsafe for its intended use. "The SUBJECT VEHICLE was inadequately designed and constructed and failed to provide the degree of occupant protection and safety that a reasonable consumer would expect," King asserts.
In addition to compensatory damages for medical expenses, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, Deborah is seeking exemplary damages against FMC for what she describes as "willful and conscious disregard for public safety." The complaint references past incidents where FMC allegedly ignored known defects in their vehicles' design to save costs at the expense of consumer safety. It cites historical data from as far back as 1968 showing that FMC was aware of rollover risks but chose not to strengthen their vehicles' roofs adequately.
The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and are represented by attorneys Brian D. Chase and Steven Hilst from Bisnar|Chase LLP. The case is being overseen by Judge A. Montes under Case No. 240V444251.