Sand Hill Energy, Inc. v. Ford Motor Company

AFFIRMING IN PART AND REVERSING IN PART Upon a jury verdict in a products liability action claiming wrongful death, the Estate of Tommy Smith (""the Estate"") recovered judgment against Ford Motor Company (""Ford"") for three million dollars in compensatory damages and twenty million dollars in punitive damages. The Court of Appeals of Kentucky reversed the judgment on grounds of misallocation of peremptory challenges and ordered a new trial. It did not reach the other issues raised on appeal. We granted discretionary review to the Estate on the issue decided by the Court of Appeals. We also granted Ford's cross-motion for discretionary review to consider the issues it raised on appeal. Sand Hill Energy is likewise before this Court for review of the trial court's directed verdict, affirmed sub silentjo, rendered against it.