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Civil Procedure Keyed to Yeazell
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 headquarters in Michigan. Ford markets, sells, and services vehicles throughout the United States, including Montana and Minnesota, where it advertises extensively, maintains numerous dealerships, and provides parts and service. In the Montana case, Markkaya Gullett died when the tread separated from a tire on her 1996 Ford Explorer, causing the vehicle to crash. In the Minnesota case, Adam Bandemer suffered serious brain damage when the airbag in his friend’s 1994 Crown Victoria failed to deploy during an accident. Although Ford conducted substantial business in both states, the specific vehicles involved in these accidents were not originally sold there—the Explorer was first sold in Washington and the Crown Victoria in North Dakota. Ford moved to dismiss both suits, arguing that specific jurisdiction existed only in states where Ford had designed, manufactured, or sold the particular vehicles involved in the accidents.
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