TV anchorwoman’s family, Ford settle product defect lawsuit

The product defect lawsuit between the family of deceased anchorwoman Polly Gonzalez and Ford Motor Co. was settled Tuesday, said a source familiar with the case.

The details of the settlement will remain confidential, but the defendant will not admit liability.

Gonzalez, 43, was killed in 2005 when she was in a single-vehicle rollover accident on California’s Highway 127 near Death Valley. He two daughters who were also inside the 2000 Ford Explorer were injured in the crash but survived.

Her family sued Ford in 2007, claiming that the Ford Explorer she was driving was unsafe and contributed to her death. The lawsuit alleged that the vehicle’s roof wasn’t strong enough to withstand a rollover and that Gonzalez’s seat belt didn’t work, among other things.

The trial was set to start in about two weeks.

Gonzalez worked for KLAS-TV, Channel 8.