Jackson v. General Motors Corp.
Tennessee Supreme Court
60 S.W.3d 800 (2001)
Relevant factsFree
Jackson (plaintiff), driving a GM (defendant) vehicle, lost control on a slick road at 19-23 mph and hit a tree. Though wearing his seatbelt and seated as far back as possible, he suffered facial fractures when his jaw struck the steering wheel. He sued GM, claiming the steering wheel design was unreasonably dangerous. The federal district court granted GM summary judgment, and on appeal the Sixth Circuit certified to the Tennessee Supreme Court the question whether Jackson could rely on the consumer-expectation test.
IssueFree
Whether, under Tennessee law, a products-liability plaintiff may establish that a vehicle safety component was unreasonably dangerous by applying the consumer-expectation test.
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