The Supreme Court’s Unanimous Ruling Makes It Easier To Sue Big Companies and the Police
In two decisions Thursday, the Supreme Court made it easier for consumers to sue companies that have a nationwide presence and to hold police accountable for excessive use of force.
In a unanimous ruling, the court said Ford Motor Company could be sued for allegedly defective vehicles involved in accidents in Montana and Michigan. One case was brought by family members of a Montana woman who died in the crash of a 1996 Explorer that her family members said had a design flaw. The second lawsuit was filed by a man claiming he was injured in the crash of a defective Crown Victoria in Minnesota.
Ford said it could be sued only in states where the vehicles were actually designed, manufactured, or sold. The company originally sold the cars at issue in these two cases in other states.
