Supreme Court makes it easier to sue big companies and police [View all]
Source: NBC News
The rulings make it easier to sue for alleged vehicle defects in states other than where an auto is made and sold, and for police use of excessive force.
March 25, 2021, 12:05 PM EDT
By Pete Williams
In two decisions Thursday, the Supreme Court made it easier for consumers to sue companies that have a nationwide presence and to hold police accountable for excessive use of force.
In a unanimous ruling, the court said Ford Motor Company could be sued for allegedly defective vehicles involved in accidents in Montana and Michigan. One case was brought by family members of a Montana woman who died in the crash of a 1996 Explorer that her family members said had a design flaw. The second lawsuit was filed by a man claiming he was injured in the crash of a defective Crown Victoria in Minnesota.
Ford said it could be sued only in states where the vehicles were actually designed, manufactured or sold. The company originally sold the cars at issue in these two cases in other states.
But the court ruled that because Ford markets, sells, and services its products nationwide, state courts can consider product liability lawsuits against the company. The opinion, by Justice Elena Kagan, said Ford is incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Michigan, "but its business is ever
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-makes-it-easier-sue-big-companies-police-n1262055
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