Home Case Results James E. Brogdon, Jr. as Executor of the Estates of Debra Mills and Herman Mills, and James E. Brogdon, Jr., Ronald B. Brogdon, & Jason E. Mills, surviving children of Debra Mills and Herman Mills

Auto Products / Wrongful Death

2/14/2025 - $2,530,524,952

James E. Brogdon, Jr. as Executor of the Estates of Debra Mills and Herman Mills, and James E. Brogdon, Jr., Ronald B. Brogdon, & Jason E. Mills, surviving children of Debra Mills and Herman Mills; United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia, Columbus Division. On February 14, 2025 a jury in Columbus, Georgia returned a verdict against Ford Motor Company in a case arising out of a fatal rollover wreck that killed Debra and Herman Mills of Bainbridge Georgia, on August 22, 2022. The roof of their red F250 crushed down on top of them. The case was filed on May 23, 2023. The jury returned verdicts for wrongful death and pain & suffering totaling $30,524,000, and a punitive damages verdict in the amount of $2.5 Billion. This was the largest verdict in Georgia history – surpassing the $1.724 Billion verdict won by Butler Prather in 2022 – also against Ford. Ford sold 5.2 million of its “Super Duty” trucks (F250, F350, F450, & F550) from model year 1999 through model year 2016. Ford admits over 3 million of those trucks with the same or very similar roofs remain on the roads in the United States. Ford admits it has received nearly 300 lawsuits and claims of deaths or injuries caused by roof crush in rollover wrecks involving those trucks. Perhaps the key evidence in the case was rollover crash testing paid for by Ford in 2015 of a “Super Duty” truck planned for model year 2017 – a truck that had a roof nearly 4 times stronger than the 1999-2016 model year trucks. Despite rolling 3 ¾ times, that roof was barely damaged. That proved Ford well knew how to build a stronger roof and that a much stronger roof would protect occupants and save lives. Ford had concealed that evidence for nine years, until 2024 – concealed it from victims who filed lawsuits all across the country, including from the plaintiffs in the Hill v. Ford case. In those cases Ford had made arguments wholly disproved by that evidence Ford was concealing.

Plaintiff was represented by James E. Butler, Jr., Ramsey B. Prather, and Allison B. Bailey of Butler Prather LLP, assisted by Butler Prather paralegals Sarah Andrews and Isabelle Broom and by investigator Nick Giles; and by Frank Lowrey and Mike Terry of Bondurant Mixson & Elmore; and by LaRae Moore of Page Scrantom Sprouse Tucker & Ford. The Brogdon (Mills) v. Ford case settled on August 15, 2025.

Additional Information

Practice Areas

I was in a complex premises liability case involving a multinational corporations. Mr. Butler & his associates were always three steps ahead of these defendants. When they say they are "exceptional trial lawyers," this is not just a slogan but it is a way of life.”
- Zack Hendon