Remi Walden (Courtesy photo)

The parents who were awarded a $150 million verdict—and later collected a reduced judgment of $40 million plus interest—for the death of their son in an exploding Jeep have established The Remington Walden Auto Safety Fund with the Center for Auto Safety in Washington, D.C.

The family's attorneys said Wednesday that Lindsay Newsome Strickland and Bryan Walden, parents of Remington Cole Walden, “have made a significant contribution” to the nonprofit organization founded by consumer advocate Ralph Nader in 1970.

“We are very pleased to help the Center for Auto Safety, which tried to get the U.S. Government to take action that would have spared our son from death,” said Strickland and Walden in a joint statement released by their lawyers. “People continue to die in fires in these Jeeps all over the country—it is a needless tragedy.”

Remi Walden died in a fire after a rear-end crash involving the Jeep in which he was a passenger. He was 4 years old. He was strapped into a car seat in the back. The jury verdict in that case was $150 million: $120 million for wrongful death and $30 million for the child's pain and suffering, with 99 percent of the fault apportioned to Chrysler. South Georgia Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Kevin Chason denied a new trial motion on the condition that the parents accept a lower wrongful death award of $30 million and a pain-and-suffering award of $10 million, which they did. The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the $40 million judgment last year, and Chrysler paid in April 2018. The total amount with interest: $47.05 million, according to lead plaintiffs counsel James “Jim” Butler Jr. of Butler Wooten & Peak in Atlanta, Columbus and Savannah.

The legal team for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles denied the tank was unsafe and blamed Remi's death on the driver who crashed into the Jeep from behind.

Butler tried the case with his son, James “Jeb” Butler III of Butler Tobin. The Butler trial team also included: George Floyd of Bainbridge; former Secretary of State Cathy Cox, now dean of the Mercer University law school; David Rohwedder of Butler Wooten; and Beth Glen, senior paralegal at Butler Wooten. Michael Terry and Frank Lowrey of Bondurant Mixson & Elmore worked with the Butlers on the appeal.

The Butlers contend the Jeep poses a continuing risk. They have a similar case now pending in Ohio for the family of a mother who died in a burning Jeep.

“The Walden case was the first fire case involving a Jeep rear gas tank car that ever went to jury verdict,” Jim Butler said. “Fiat-Chrysler had settled dozens of other Jeep fire cases, but Remington's parents refused to settle—they wanted American citizens to know about the danger.”

“A number of people have burned alive in those rear gas tank Jeeps, all across the country, since the April 2, 2015, verdict in the Walden case,” Jeb Butler said. “Millions of the rear gas tank Jeeps remain on the road today.”

Fiat Chrysler didn't immediately comment on the family's and its lawyers' latest contentions that Jeep vehicles pose an ongoing risk, but after paying the Walden judgment, a company spokesman said at the time: “While this tragic accident was caused by a reckless pick-up truck driver who slammed into the rear of a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee at highway speed, FCA US has decided not to further litigate this case. This decision in no way reflects the Company's agreement with the result of the litigation. In fact, the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee met or exceeded all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards at the time it was built, including the standard for fuel system integrity.  The company hopes the termination of this case can provide some measure of peace to the family of Remi Walden for their tragic loss.”