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Civil Procedure Keyed to Erichson
Ford Motor Company v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court
Citation:
141 S. Ct. 1017 (2021)Facts
Ford Motor Company is a global automobile manufacturer incorporated in Delaware with headquarters in Michigan, distributing over 2.5 million vehicles annually through more than 3,200 dealerships nationwide. Ford extensively advertises through television, print, online, and direct mail, and maintains ongoing relationships with customers through dealer networks providing maintenance, repair services, and replacement parts. In Montana, Ford operated 36 dealerships and actively marketed vehicles including Ford Explorers. Markkaya Gullett was driving a 1996 Ford Explorer near her Montana home when the rear tire tread separated, causing the vehicle to spin out, roll into a ditch, and land upside down, killing her. The Explorer had been designed in Michigan, manufactured in Kentucky, and originally sold in Washington before being brought to Montana. In Minnesota, Ford operated 84 dealerships and marketed vehicles including Crown Victorias, having sold over 2,000 of that model in the state. Adam Bandemer was a passenger in a 1994 Crown Victoria traveling on a rural Minnesota road to go ice fishing when his friend rear-ended a snowplow, causing the car to land in a ditch. Bandemer’s airbag failed to deploy, resulting in serious brain damage. The Crown Victoria had been designed in Michigan, manufactured in Canada, and originally sold in North Dakota before being brought to Minnesota.
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