Jury awards $12.5 million to teen rape victim

A Wayne County jury today awarded $12.5 million to a Grosse Ile girl who repeatedly was raped by an attendant during a 50-minute ride in a Superior Ambulance in July 2006.

The 7-member jury deliberated 3½ hours over two days before announcing the verdict.

Southfield lawyer William McHenry, who assisted attorney Geoffrey Fieger in the two-week trial, said the evidence showed that attendant Matt DeFillipo raped the 14-year-old girl in the presence of the driver during an ambulance ride from Brownstown Township to New Baltimore. McHenry said the driver reported the incident to a supervisor, who responded, “cover our asses.”

DeFillipo later was convicted of rape and sentenced to 3½ years in prison.

Superior Ambulance’s general counsel, Summer Heil, said: “What happened to the plaintiff in this case is reprehensible. She was victimized by a pedophile. But Superior was in no way responsible for this.”

The jury found DeFillippo 70 percent responsible, Superior 30 percent at fault and the driver not at fault.

Heil said the company believes the jury erred in finding Superior at fault, noting that the Michigan Court of Appeals, in pretrial rulings, held that Superior wasn’t responsible for the criminal acts of DeFillippo. She said Superior turned DeFillippo in to the Michigan State Police.

She said the company is considering its legal options.