A Clayton County jury recently awarded a $17.7 million verdict against Ford Motor Co. and a driver for a wreck that occurred Christmas morning in 2005.

The verdict was awarded to Lynn Wheeler, who suffered catastrophic injuries and is now a quadriplegic, and to her husband Doug. Wheeler was on her way to church wearing a lap-only seat belt in a 2002 Ford Explorer which was struck head-on by a car driven by John C. Stanley on Noah's Ark Road.

In a verdict returned Dec. 18, the jury found Ford responsible for $16.4 million in damages for defects in the Explorer's occupant protection system, Atlanta lawyer Alan Hamilton said in a statement. When the jury also decided to award punitive damages against Ford, Ford and the Wheelers settled the case before that verdict was announced, Hamilton said.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC