Friday 9th July 1999

A Los Angeles jury ordered General Motors to pay $4.9 billion to 6 people burned when their 1979 Chevrolet Malibu fuel tank exploded on Christmas Eve 1993 following a rear end collision. In August a judge reduced the award to $1.2 billion. A judge later reduced the punitive damages to $1.09 billion, while letting stand $107 million in compensatory damages; General Motors continued to appeal.