To minimize injuries in a collision or rollover, automakers have a legal duty to design and construct car, truck, and SUV roofs that provide structural protection to drivers and passengers. Sadly, that’s not always the case.

A 16-year-old was a belted front-seat passenger in a 1998 Ford Explorer rollover accident. She suffered a spinal fracture and head injury that caused partial quadriplegia, memory loss, and impaired ability to organize and process thoughts. She has limited use of her arms, uses a wheelchair, and requires assistance with daily living activities. Injury to her lungs paralyzed torso muscles, so she trained herself to breathe using her diaphragm. Her past medical expenses totaled about $1 million, and future life-care costs are estimated at $20 million. Her attorney sued, alleging the Explorer’s roof was not crashworthy and could not withstand the impact of a foreseeable rollover collision. The parties agreed to a confidential structured settlement before her suit was filed.