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Civil Procedure Keyed to Cross
Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court
Citation:
592 U.S. 351 (2021)Facts
These consolidated cases involve product liability claims against Ford Motor Company in Montana and Minnesota. In the Montana case, Markkaya Gullett died when her 1996 Ford Explorer, originally purchased in Washington, rolled over in Montana. In the Minnesota case, Adam Bandemer was injured when the airbag in a 1994 Ford Crown Victoria, originally purchased in North Dakota, failed to deploy during an accident in Minnesota. Ford moved to dismiss both cases for lack of personal jurisdiction, arguing that since it did not design, manufacture, or sell the specific vehicles involved in the accidents in Montana or Minnesota, the courts lacked specific jurisdiction. Ford acknowledged it extensively marketed, sold, and serviced the same vehicle models in both states, but maintained that without a causal link between its forum activities and the plaintiffs’ claims, specific jurisdiction was improper.
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