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Civil Procedure Keyed to Hazard
Spurlin v. General Motors Corp.
Facts
In April 1968, a school bus manufactured by General Motors (Defendant) and owned by Morgan County, Alabama crashed, killing two children and injuring twenty-two. The crash was caused by a failure of the bus’ brakes. All of the children on the bus (Plaintiffs), through their parents, sued Defendant for negligently designing the braking system as well as improperly instructing owners of the bus as to how frequently the braking system should be serviced. The case was tried in front of a jury and the jury found for Plaintiffs. Defendant moved for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, in the alternative, for a new trial. The trial court granted both motions. Plaintiffs appealed.
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