Ford Motor Company, the nation's second-largest automaker, has settled a lawsuit involving the controversial E-350 15-passenger van. The suit was filed by the family of two people who died in 1996 when their E-350 van flipped on a Kentucky highway. The case was scheduled for trial Monday in Chicago. In January, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman ordered Ford to turn over information regarding safety records of the 15-passenger van, which plaintiffs' attorneys accused the automaker of concealing from the public. Lawyers argued that Ford conducted safety tests on the 15-passenger van several years ago but hid the results after they showed the vehicles were prone to rollovers.

In 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a warning alerting consumers that 15-passenger vans have a higher risk of rollovers when fully loaded. Over 400 people have died in 15-passenger van accidents in the United States since 1990.