Ford Reaches Settlement in Juan Yraguen Super Duty Crushed Roof Case
In a significant development, Ford Motor Company has settled yet another lawsuit involving its 1999–2016 “Super Duty” pickup trucks, marking the third major case resolved by Butler Prather LLP in less than two months.
This most recent settlement, Juan & Kris Yraguen v. Ford, follows on the heels of Hill v. Ford and Brogdon/Mills v. Ford, two cases that resulted in combined jury verdicts of over $4 billion. While the specific terms of the Yraguen settlement are confidential, the broader implications for consumer safety and corporate accountability are anything but.
A Tragic Turn on an Oregon Highway
On May 11, 2022, Juan Yraguen, a respected businessman and community leader in Sutherlin, Oregon, was driving his 2008 Ford F-350 through the Cascade Mountains. While traveling under 30 mph, his vehicle slid off the road and rolled over twice. Though the truck landed upright, the roof collapsed into a “V” shape, crushing down onto Mr. Yraguen’s neck. This resulted in incomplete quadriplegia. He now relies on round-the-clock care, provided mostly by his wife of 36 years, Kris Yraguen.
Before the crash, the Yraguens were key figures in their multi-generational family business, Basco Logging. Now, their lives have been forever changed. Millions of dollars in medical expenses and the forced closure of their 70-year-old family business have added to their hardship.
A Pattern of Avoidable Harm
The Yraguen case is not an outlier. In fact, it falls squarely into a disturbing pattern. Ford’s 1999–2016 Super Duty trucks have been at the center of at least 294 lawsuits involving roof crush injuries and deaths. Plaintiffs in these cases, including the Hill and Mills families, were tragically killed or injured in rollovers where the weak roof structure failed, even while traveling at relatively low-speed conditions.
In the Hill and Brogdon/Mills cases, juries found Ford’s conduct egregious enough to award $1.7 billion and $2.5 billion in punitive damages respectively. Those verdicts highlighted a consistent failure to act on known design flaws, even after internal testing demonstrated that safer alternatives were available to the automaker.
Concealed Evidence
One of the most damning revelations in the Yraguen case came in 2024 when Ford was forced to disclose 2015 crash testing it had hidden for nearly a decade. That testing involved a Super Duty truck with a newly designed roof, one nearly four times stronger than the original. In the crash simulation, the reinforced roof held its structure after more than 3 rolls, and the windshield didn’t even break.
Yet Ford chose not to implement this stronger roof on its Super Duty line until the 2017 model year. For over a decade, millions of trucks were sold with roofs Ford knew were weak. Worse still, Ford concealed the existence of this testing from jurors and judges in previous trials, even as it falsely argued that roof strength doesn’t matter in rollover crashes.
Ford’s “Diving” Defense Falls Flat
In its legal strategy, Ford routinely relies on a widely debunked argument known as the diving theory. According to this claim, occupants are injured not because the roof collapses onto them, but because they “dive” into the roof during a rollover. This theory has been rejected by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which have long asserted that stronger roofs reduce the risk of severe or fatal injuries in rollovers.
According to court depositions, even Ford’s own engineers don’t support the diving theory. One internal Ford study from 2000, reviewed and approved by Ford’s legal team, explicitly states: “The crush resistance of roof structures is critical to minimizing injuries and enhancing occupant survival during rollover crashes.”
A Cynical Decision by Ford
So why didn’t Ford act sooner? According to documents revealed during litigation, Ford engineers proposed the stronger roof in the early 2000s as part of an “Enhanced Roof Strength Project.” The cost to implement it would have been approximately $100 per truck. Rather than prioritize occupant safety, Ford executives chose cost savings over the safety of their customers.
Ford has admitted it sold over 5.1 million Super Duty trucks with the weaker roof design. Of those, approximately 3.8 million are still on the road today. There is no retrofit or recall plan, no warning issued to consumers, and no acknowledgment of risk beyond courtroom proceedings.
The High Cost of Silence
For the Yraguens and countless others, the human toll is staggering. The injuries sustained by Mr. Yraguen are permanent. His mobility is severely limited, and he requires assistance with nearly every aspect of daily life. His wife Kris now provides the dual role of caregiver and financial manager, all while grieving the loss of their shared dreams.
Meanwhile, Ford has continued to promote its newer truck models while keeping silent about the risks associated with older vehicles. Safety experts and consumer advocates argue that the company’s conduct reflects a systemic disregard for public welfare.
A Legacy of Advocacy
The legal team at Butler Prather LLP, including James E. Butler, Jr., Ramsey B. Prather, and Hala Gores, has been relentless in uncovering the truth behind these cases. With a reputation for taking on major corporations and bringing hidden dangers to light, their efforts have not only resulted in life-changing compensation for clients, but also contributed to national conversations around vehicle safety and corporate accountability.
As more cases come to light and more families speak out, one thing remains clear: companies that place profits above people will be held accountable; not only in the courtroom, but in the court of public opinion.
Speak With a Trusted Roof Crush Injury Attorney in Columbus GA
Were you or a loved harmed by a defective vehicle? When automakers cut corners and put unsafe cars and trucks on the road, families pay the price. At Butler Prather LLP, we’ve taken on some of the biggest corporations in the world and won. Our Georgia personal injury trial attorneys have secured record-setting verdicts and settlements in cases involving defective roofs, unsafe designs, and dangerous parts.
Call (706) 322-1990 for a free consultation with a Columbus Ford Super Duty roof crush lawyer.
You don’t have to do this alone.