The family of a woman who died in a fiery crash while driving her Mustang has been awarded seven million dollars from the Ford Motor Company. The judgment comes from a product liability lawsuit that was brought forward against the automotive maker. The lawsuit was filed by Angel Tyler, the mother of 19-year-old Breanna Bumgarner, in Kanawha County Circuit Court in March 2018.

On March 22, 2016, Anna Errickson was driving westbound along U.S. Route 33 in a 1989 Toyota pickup truck. Errickson veered off of the highway and began to correct herself. When she drove back onto the road, she crossed over the center line and struck the 2014 Ford Mustang 19-year-old Breanna Bumgarner was driving. The Mustang was struck in the front left side. Following the collision, Bumgarner’s Mustang caught on fire, entrapping her and burning her alive.

In the lawsuit, the Bumgarner family named the Ford Motor Company, Errickson who was a minor at the time of the crash, and her parents Mark and Kristen Errickson. The lawsuit took specific aim at Ford Motor Company for their negligence in manufacturing the 2014 Mustang which claimed the life of the 19-year-old.

The lawsuit alleged that Ford had failed to properly protect the brake fluid reservoir which they say caused the fire to happen. They also detailed that the steel used to make the vehicle safety cage contributed to Bumgarner’s death. The complaint explains that the safety cage steel was made out of the same type of steel used in the front and rear “crumple zones” of the vehicle instead of stronger, safer steel.

The lawsuit points to a 2011 crash safety test conducted by the automotive maker. The complaint emphasizes that Ford should have stopped producing the vehicle in the same manner because the crash test showed the brake reservoir would be damaged and that the dashboard would crush against the driver. Knowing that these were possible outcomes following a crash, the carmaker should have done more to ensure driver safety.

Despite these claims, attorneys representing the Ford Motor Company contend that the unique circumstances of the crash did not reflect the test results of the 2011 crash test. Jack Feeney, one attorney representing Ford, argued that Bumgarner’s vehicle was hit at a unique angle that allowed the vehicle door to be jammed, entrapping her. The way the vehicle was hit was not in accord with the results reflected by the 2011 crash test. According to the Charleston Gazette, Feeny argued, “There was not one engineer, not one medic, not one EMT — no one came to you and testified in this courtroom…that… manufacturers are governed by design standards that would require the door to be opened if it is hit at a 40-degree angle by a 3,500 pound light truck at 59 miles an hour.”

The case was heard in front of a jury and Kanawha Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit. The jury found that Ford Motor Company was 99% responsible for Bumgarner’s death. The jury sided with the family that the automotive company did not do more to prevent the brake fluid from posing a safety hazard. As a result, Ford was negligent in the design of its 2014 Mustang. The jury settled on their decision after more than two weeks of testimony.

Ford Motor Company spokesperson, Ian Thibodeau, has shared with news outlets that the company would be looking into its options for appealing the ruling.