An Alabama jury ordered General Motors Corporation (GM) last week to pay $122 million to the family of a boy who suffered permanent brain injuries in an auto accident. In 1999, Jeffrey Jernigan, then 12, was riding in the passenger seat of a 1993 Oldsmobile Delta 88 when the vehicle, driven by his brother, collided with another car. Massive head injuries forced doctors to remove portions of Jernigan's brain.

Plaintiff attorneys argued that a GM cost-reduction program in the 1990's resulted in vehicle design defects and numerous other safety problems. They referred to the fact that the passenger side of the Oldsmobile collapsed during the accident. GM plans to appeal the decision, which one spokesperson called "outrageous".