The Supreme Court has left in place an $82.6 million award to a woman who was paralyzed after her Ford Explorer rolled over.

Benetta Buell-Wilson was driving on a San Diego interstate in January 2002 when she swerved to avoid a metal object on the road. She lost control of her 1997 Explorer and ended up rolling the vehicle. The mother of two was paralyzed from the waist down when the roof collapsed on her neck, severing her spine.

Ford Motor Co. challenged $55 million of the portion awarded, saying that the vehicle design met federal safety standard. The jury said that Ford knew the Explorer had design defects that made it prone to rollovers in emergency maneuvers and the collapse of its roof. They rejected Ford’s contention and initially awarded Buell-Wilson $369 million, including $246 million in punitive damages but courts twice cut the size of the award.

The case is Ford v. Buell-Wilson, 09-297.