In December 2008, a jury in Chicago, Illinois awarded independent inventor Jacob Krippelz $23 million in royalties after determining Ford Motor Company infringed his patent related to a lighting system. In November 2009, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois more than doubled the award because it believed Ford willfully infringed the patent when selling vehicles with similar lamps even when the company knew Krippelz’s patent and possible infringement.

Krippelz patented the car-door lights, known as “puddle lamps,” in 1991. He sent a copy of the patent-at-issue, US Patent No. 5,017,903, to Ford after it was issued. Ford told him it was not interested in the invention but, six years later, Krippelz saw the lamps on a Ford vehicle. Krippelz filed the patent infringement lawsuit in 1998.
Source(s):  Sachdev, Ameet, “Ford ordered to pay Aurora man $55.6 million in patent dispute,” Chicago Tribute, November 25, 2009 (http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed-ford-patentnov25,0,2535447.story); “Ford $23M puddle lamp infringement is willful: court,” Law 360, Marcy 27, 2009 (http://www.bartlit-beck.com/assets/attachments/Ford_$23M_Puddle_Lamp_Infringement_Is_Willful-_Court.pdf).