Pandemic Delays U.S. Supreme Court Arguments Over Effort by Ford to Limit Legal Scrutiny for Defective Products
HOUSTON, April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A COVID-19-related delay in the U.S. Supreme Court's spring docket includes an important automotive defect case in which Ford Motor Co. is attempting to limit the ability of injured individuals to hold manufacturers accountable for defective products.
Trial lawyers from Kaster, Lynch, Farrar & Ball were preparing for scheduled April 27 oral arguments in Bandemer v. Ford when the Supreme Court's spring docket was postponed. The case has generated high-profile support, including an amicus brief filed by prominent law professors from New York University Law School and George Washington University Law School.
"This is a critically important issue for the future safety of consumers," said trial lawyer Kyle Farrar. "By restricting the ability for individuals to file lawsuits in their home states and the states of their injuries, automakers and other manufacturers will be less accountable for injuries caused by their defective products."
In Bandemer v Ford, Minnesota resident Adam Bandemer alleges that a defective passenger-side airbag in a Ford Crown Victoria that he was riding in was responsible for a severe brain injury he suffered in a 2015 crash.
The issue before the Supreme Court hinges on Ford's claims that since the Crown Victoria in the Bandemer lawsuit and a Ford Explorer in a companion lawsuit were originally purchased outside the states where the accidents occurred, the plaintiffs cannot file their cases in their home states because those states lack jurisdiction over Ford. Under such circumstances, the Michigan-based automaker claims the plaintiffs should be required to file the lawsuits in the state where the vehicles were designed or manufactured. Ford appealed to the Supreme Court after state supreme courts in Minnesota and Montana rejected the automaker's arguments.
Bandemer is represented by Kyle W. Farrar, Wesley Todd Ball and Mark Bankston of Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball LLP.
"This is another attempt by powerful corporate interests to strip citizens of their constitutional right to access the civil justice system," Mr. Farrar said. "Government oversight and regulations are toothless in holding manufacturers accountable. It's vital that consumers have access to courts when dangerous products cause injuries."
About Kaster, Lynch, Farrar & Ball
Based in Ocala, Florida, and Houston, the trial lawyers at Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball LLP have hard-earned expertise in cases against global vehicle and tire manufacturers over various defects that can cause significant injuries or deaths. The firm is a nationwide leader in securing verdicts and settlements against the world's largest tire and vehicle manufacturers. For more information, visit TheTireLawyers.com.
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SOURCE Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball, LLP
