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City of Franklin v. Badger Ford Truck Sales, Inc. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A city sued the seller, assembler, and component manufacturer of a fire truck after a defective wheel caused an accident. The court held all were strictly liable but required a new trial to apportion fault among them for contribution purposes.
Legal Significance: Establishes that manufacturers of non-substantially-changed component parts are subject to strict liability. It also mandates the application of comparative negligence principles to apportion fault for contribution among multiple defendants in a strict products liability action, clarifying that indemnity is inappropriate between them.
City of Franklin v. Badger Ford Truck Sales, Inc. Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
The City of Franklin (Plaintiff) purchased a fire truck that was sold by Badger Ford Truck Sales, Inc. (Defendant), assembled on a chassis made by Ford Motor Company (Defendant), which included a wheel manufactured by Gunite Division of Kelsey Hayes Company (Defendant). While the truck was responding to a fire call, it tipped over. The jury determined that the accident was caused by a defectively constructed wheel that was unreasonably dangerous. The City sued the seller (Badger), the chassis assembler (Ford), and the wheel manufacturer (Gunite) under a theory of strict products liability. The jury found the wheel was defective and that the defect caused the accident. It also found the City was negligent in its maintenance of the wheel, but that this negligence was not a cause of the accident. The trial court entered judgment for the plaintiff against all three defendants and awarded the seller, Badger, indemnity on its cross-complaint against Ford and Gunite. The defendants appealed, arguing that as component part manufacturers they were not subject to strict liability and that the verdict was improper for failing to apportion fault among them.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: In a strict products liability action against multiple defendants in the chain of distribution, does strict liability extend to the manufacturer of a defective component part, and must the trier of fact apportion fault among the defendants for the purpose of determining contribution?
Yes. The court affirmed the judgment for the plaintiff but reversed the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
In a strict products liability action against multiple defendants in the chain of distribution, does strict liability extend to the manufacturer of a defective component part, and must the trier of fact apportion fault among the defendants for the purpose of determining contribution?
Conclusion
This case is significant for extending strict liability down the supply chain Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cil
Legal Rule
A manufacturer of a component part that is incorporated into a larger Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Legal Analysis
The Wisconsin Supreme Court extended the doctrine of strict products liability, as Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Strict liability applies to manufacturers of component parts if the part