Mitsubishi to Pay $47,000 in Damages

A Japanese court has ordered Mitsubishi Motors to pay 5.5 million yen, the equivalent of $47,000, in damages to the mother of a woman killed by a wheel that disconnected from a Mitsubishi truck.

In January of 2002, the wheel crushed Shiho Okamoto, 29, while she was walking on a sidewalk. The model vehicle was later recalled by the Tokyo automaker after Mitsubishi admitted it had been hiding automotive defects for decades.

Mitsubishi Motors has announced it will adhere to the ruling and has apologized to Okamoto's family. Yoko Masuda, Okamoto's mother, had originally sued for 165 yen, approximately $1.4 million, in damages. Her lawyer, Katsuji Aoki, said the decision will be appealed, citing the lack of punitive damages as a measure to prevent corporate wrongdoing in the future.