Supreme Court of Texas
MCI Sales & Serv., Inc. v. Hinton, 09-0048
In plaintiffs' suit against the manufacturer, importer, and distributor of a motorcoach arising from a serious automobile accident, claiming that the motorcoach was defectively designed because it lacked passenger seatbelts and laminated glass windows, court of appeals' judgment is affirmed where: 1) because the jury's verdict which is grounded in the state's common law does not present any obstacle to the accomplishment of the federal regulatory scheme's purpose, the federal safety standards at issue do not preempt state law; 2) the bus driver and the employer are settling persons under Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and as such, the trial court erred in refusing to submit a question to the jury concerning the driver's employer's proportionate responsibility as a settling person.
Appellate Information
- Argued 03/24/2010
- Decided 12/17/2010
- Published 12/17/2010
Judges
Court
- Supreme Court of Texas