Fisher v. Ford Motor Co. ( 2000 )


Menu:
  • 5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH  (/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS 81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB %(9(5/ D@ VWHHULQJFROXPQLQWRKHUIDFHDWVXFKFORVHUDQJHVODPPHGKHU GLVWULFWFRXUWjVIDLOXUHWRJLYHDUHTXHVWHGMXU\LQVWUXFWLRQLV KHDGEDFNDJDLQVWWKHVHDWFDXVLQJDVNXOOIUDFWXUHDQGEUDLQ VXEMHFWWRGHQRYRUHYLHZl KHPRUUKDJLQJZKLFKUHVXOWHGLQOHQJWK\KRVSLWDOL]DWLRQDQG UHKDELOLWDWLRQDQGFRQWLQXLQJQHXURORJLFDOGDPDJH6KHDOVR )LVKHUFRPSODLQVDERXWWKHGLVWULFWFRXUWjVMXU\LQVWUXFWLRQV VXIIHUHG D ULJKWDUP IUDFWXUH  ,W LV XQFRQWHVWHG WKDW KHU LQ WKUHH UHVSHFWV  )LUVW WKH FRXUW OLPLWHG LWV LQVWUXFWLRQ LQMXULHVZHUHFDXVHGE\WKHDLUEDJjVGHSOR\PHQWUDWKHUWKDQ UHJDUGLQJWKHFODLPRILQDGHTXDWHZDUQLQJWRFRPSRUWZLWKLWV E\WKHLPSDFWRIWKHFROOLVLRQ HDUOLHUILQGLQJWKDWDGGLWLRQDOODEHOVFRXOGRQO\FRQWDLQWKH VDPH ODQJXDJH DV PDQGDWHG RQ WKH VXQ YLVRU ODEHOV  %XW 0UV)LVKHUFRQWHQGVWKDW)RUGNQHZRIWKHULVNWRVKRUW )LVKHUjVDUJXPHQWWKDWVWDWHODZRQLQDGHTXDWHZDUQLQJFRXOG GULYHUVZKR PXVW VLWFORVHWRWKHDLUEDJDQGVKRXOGKDYH UHTXLUHDUHDVRQDEOHPDQXIDFWXUHUWRGRRWKHUZLVHUXQVDIRXO ZDUQHGKHURIWKHGDQJHU7KHVWDQGDUGVDIHW\LQVWUXFWLRQVRQ RI WKH LPSOLHG SUHHPSWLRQ GLVFXVVHG VXSUD FUHDWHG E\ WKH IHGHUDOO\ PDQGDWHG ZDUQLQJ PRXQWHG RQ WKH VXQ YLVRU 1+76$UHJXODWLRQV6HFRQGWKHWULDOFRXUWjVLQVWUXFWLRQVGLG FDXWLRQVGULYHUVQRWWRVLWWRRFORVHWRWKHDLUEDJEXWGRHVQRW QRWDGYHUWWR)LVKHUjVFRQWHQWLRQWKDW)RUGFRXOGDQGVKRXOG ZDUQGULYHUVZKRDUHVKRUWLQVWDWXUHRIWKHVSHFLDOULVNWR KDYHFRPPXQLFDWHGWKHULVNVWRVKRUWGULYHUVE\RWKHUPHDQV WKHP QRU ZDV WKH ZDUQLQJ GLVSOD\HG DQ\ZKHUH HOVH IRU VXFKDVQRWLILFDWLRQOHWWHUVDGYHUWLVLQJDSRFNHWJXLGHHWF H[DPSOHRQWKHVWHHULQJFROXPQZKHUHVKHFRXOGKDYHUHDG %XWWKHLVVXHEHIRUHWKHMXU\ZDVZKHWKHU)RUGjVSRVWLQJRI LW PRUH HDVLO\  6KH FRQWHQGV WKDW WKH ODFN RI DGGLWLRQDO WKH IHGHUDOO\ PDQGDWHG VXQYLVRU ZDUQLQJ ODEHOV ZDV ZDUQLQJVORFDWHGHOVHZKHUHLQWKHYHKLFOHZKLFKFRXOGDOVR VXIILFLHQWWRFRQVWLWXWHmUHDVRQDEOHFDUHlQRWZKHWKHURWKHU ZDUQ VKRUW GULYHUV RI VSHFLDO ULVNV WR WKHP FRQVWLWXWHG PHDQV ZRXOG KDYH DOVR EHHQ UHDVRQDEOH RU SRVVLEO\ HYHQ WRUWLRXVIDLOXUHWRZDUQDQGSURGXFWGHIHFWGXHWRLQDGHTXDWH SUHIHUDEOH ZDUQLQJXQGHU2KLRODZ  )LVKHUHWDOY)RUG0RWRU&R 1R 1R )LVKHUHWDOY)RUG0RWRU&R  7KH DLU EDJ ZDUQLQJ UHTXLUHG E\ )HGHUDO 0RWRU 9HKLFOH WRSODFHRWKHUZDUQLQJODEHOVZLWKGLIIHUHQWODQJXDJH HJ 6DIHW\6WDQGDUG m)0966l UHDGVDVIROORZV HPSKDVL]LQJULVNWRVKRUWGULYHUV HOVHZKHUHLQWKHYHKLFOH WKHGLVWULFWFRXUWKDGUXOHGWKDWRQO\ZDUQLQJODEHOVLGHQWLFDO &$87,2172$92,'6(5,286,1s85 W@KH VWDQGDUG >@ GLG QRW SURKLELW H[SODQDWLRQV YHKLFOH PDQXIDFWXUHUV IURP SODFLQJ RWKHU DFFXUDWH LQIRUPDWLRQFRQFHUQLQJDLUEDJVRUVHDWEHOWVLQORFDWLRQVLQ )LVKHUWHVWLILHGWKDWVKHKDGQHYHUVHHQRUUHDGWKHYLVRU WKH YHKLFOH RWKHU WKDQ WKH VXQ YLVRUl  7KH GLVWULFW FRXUWjV ZDUQLQJ VLJQ QRU GLG VKH UHDG WKH RZQHUjV PDQXDOjV GHQLDO RI D PRWLRQ IRU QHZ WULDO GLG QRW FRPPHQW RQ WKLV GLVFXVVLRQRIWKHSURSHUXVHDQGGDQJHUVRIDLUEDJV PDWWHU ,, 1HYHUWKHOHVV LWV GHQLDO RI WKH PRWLRQ VKRXOG EH XSKHOG )LUVWWKH*HQHUDO&RXQVHOjVRSLQLRQLVQRWOHJDOO\ELQGLQJRQ $ WKHFRXUWV6HH&KDPEHUVY2KLR'HSjWRI+XPDQ6HUYV  )G   WK &LU   KROGLQJ WKDW ZKHQ DQ 7KHGLVWULFWFRXUWJUDQWHGSDUWLDOVXPPDU\MXGJPHQWWR)RUG DJHQF\ mKDV QRW FHPHQWHG LWV LQWHUSUHWDWLRQ LQ WKH IRUP RI RQWKHLVVXHRISDUWLDOSUHHPSWLRQ)LVKHU KDGDUJXHGWKDW ELQGLQJUHJXODWLRQVLWVLQWHUSUHWDWLRQPD\QRWEHµHQWLWOHGWR )RUGjVFRPSOLDQFHZLWKIHGHUDOVWDQGDUGVE\SRVWLQJWKHYLVRU GHIDFWRELQGLQJHIIHFWWKURXJKMXGLFLDOGHIHUHQFHjl  TXRWLQJ ZDUQLQJ IDLOV WR VDWLVI\ 2KLR ODZ RQ LQDGHTXDWH ZDUQLQJ 0DQDJHPHQW5HFUXLWHUV,QWjO,QFY%ORRU)G )RUG FODLPHG WKDW WKH IHGHUDO VWDQGDUG SUHHPSWV DQ\ WK&LU 6HFRQGWKHOHWWHULQTXHVWLRQZDVZULWWHQ DGGLWLRQDO VWDWH ODZ VWDQGDUG QRWZLWKVWDQGLQJ DQ H[SOLFLW WZR \HDUV DIWHU )LVKHUjV DFFLGHQW DQG DOVR SHUWDLQHG WR D H[HPSWLRQIURPSUHHPSWLRQ IRUFRPPRQODZFODLPV7KH GLIIHUHQW K\SRWKHWLFDO ZDUQLQJ ULVNV WR FKLOGUHQ   )RUGjV GLVWULFWFRXUWKHOGWKDW1+76$jVVDIHW\UHJXODWLRQUHTXLULQJ UHVSRQVH WR )LVKHUjV PRWLRQ FLWHG WKH 1+76$ ZHEVLWHjV DXQLIRUPZDUQLQJVLJQRQWKHVXQYLVRULPSOLHGO\SUHHPSWHG FDXWLRQUHJDUGLQJWKHXVHRIVXFKLQWHUSUHWDWLRQOHWWHUVm,Q DQ\ GXW\ XQGHU VWDWH ODZ WR SRVW DGGLWLRQDO VLJQV ZLWK DWWHPSWLQJWRXVHWKHVHLQWHUSUHWDWLRQVWRUHVROYHDTXHVWLRQ DOWHUQDWLYHRUPRUHH[SDQVLYHODQJXDJH SOHDVH EH DZDUH WKDW WKH\ UHSUHVHQW WKH YLHZV RI WKH &KLHI :HUHYLHZDGLVWULFWFRXUWjVJUDQWRIVXPPDU\MXGJPHQWGH &RXQVHOEDVHGRQWKHIDFWVRILQGLYLGXDOFDVHVDWWKHWLPHWKH QRYR6HHHJ+DUWVHOY.H\HV)G WK&LU OHWWHUZDVZULWWHQ)XUWKHUWKH$JHQF\jVVWDQGDUGVDQG    6XFK D MXGJPHQW LV DIILUPHG mLI WKH SOHDGLQJV UHJXODWLRQVFKDQJHIURP\HDUWR\HDUDQGSDVWLQWHUSUHWDWLRQV GHSRVLWLRQV DQVZHUV WR LQWHUURJDWRULHV DQG DGPLVVLRQV RQ PD\QRORQJHUEHDSSOLFDEOHl7KHGLVWULFWFRXUWjVLPSOLFLW ILOHWRJHWKHUZLWKWKHDIILGDYLWVLIDQ\VKRZWKDWWKHUHLVQR UHMHFWLRQ RI WKH DUJXPHQW WKDW WKLV OHWWHU VKRXOG EH JLYHQ JHQXLQHLVVXHDVWRDQ\PDWHULDOIDFWDQGWKDWWKHPRYLQJSDUW\ UHWURDFWLYHOHJDOHIIHFWGLGQRWLQYROYHDFOHDUHUURURIODZ LVHQWLWOHGWRDMXGJPHQWDVDPDWWHURIODZl)HG5&LY3  )LVKHUHWDOY)RUG0RWRU&R 1R 1R )LVKHUHWDOY)RUG0RWRU&R  RQO\ZKHQWKHUHLVDFRPSOHWHDEVHQFHRIIDFWWRVXSSRUWWKH  F (YDOXDWLQJWKHMXGJPHQWRQDSSHDOWKLVFRXUWYLHZV YHUGLFWVRWKDWQRUHDVRQDEOHMXURUFRXOGKDYHIRXQGIRUWKH WKHHYLGHQFHLQWKHOLJKWPRVWIDYRUDEOHWRWKHQRQPRYLQJ QRQPRYLQJSDUW\l0RRUH)GDW7KHVWDQGDUG SDUW\6HH0DWVXVKLWD(OHF,QGXV&R/WGY=HQLWK5DGLR XVHGE\WKLVFRXUWLVWKXVmLGHQWLFDOWRWKHRQHXVHGE\WKH &RUS86   GLVWULFWFRXUWl3KHOSVY

Document Info

Docket Number: 99-3012

Filed Date: 8/23/2000

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 3/3/2016