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Civil Procedure Keyed to Counsellor, 3rd Ed.
Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court
Citation:
592 U.S. 351 (2021)Facts
Ford Motor Company is a global automobile manufacturer incorporated in Delaware with its headquarters in Michigan. Ford markets, sells, and services its vehicles across the United States, including in Montana and Minnesota. The company distributes over 2.5 million new vehicles annually to more than 3,200 dealerships nationwide and engages in extensive advertising and promotional activities. Ford also provides parts to auto supply stores and repair shops and maintains a network of dealers offering maintenance and repair services. In the Montana case, Markkaya Gullett died when her 1996 Ford Explorer’s tire tread separated, causing the vehicle to crash in Montana. In the Minnesota case, Adam Bandemer suffered serious brain damage when the airbag in his friend’s 1994 Ford Crown Victoria failed to deploy during an accident in Minnesota. Neither vehicle was originally sold in the state where the accident occurred—the Explorer was first sold in Washington and the Crown Victoria in North Dakota. Ford moved to dismiss both suits, arguing that the state courts lacked personal jurisdiction because Ford had not designed, manufactured, or sold the specific vehicles involved in the accidents in those states.
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