Find Court Cases > Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc.

Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc.

Case Date: 11/03/2010
Docket No: none

Facts of the Case 

Three members of the Williamson family were involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle. Delbert and Alexa wore lap/shoulder seatbelts and survived, while Thanh wore a lap-only seatbelt and died. Subsequently, they sued Mazda Motor of America for strict products liability, negligence, deceit, and wrongful death in a California state court. The court dismissed the claims, holding that federal law precluded a state court tort action "to the extent the theory of liability [was rooted in] the lap-only seat belt." On appeal, a California appellate court affirmed, holding that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") regulation allowing minivan rear seats to have either lap-only or lap/shoulder seat belts preempted state court wrongful death actions.

Read the Briefs for this Case
  • Brief for the States of Illinois, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, And Wyoming
  • Brief of the Attorneys Information Exchange Group as Amicus Curiae In Support of the Petitioners
  • Brief of Constitutional Accountability Center as Amicus Curiae In Support of Petitioners
  • Brief of Public Justice, P.c., as Amicus Curiae In Support of Petitioners
  • Brief of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, National Association of Manufacturers, American Tort Reform Association, And Lawyers for Civil Justice as Amici Curiae In Support of Respondents
  • Brief for Amicus Curiae Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association In Support of Respondents
  • Brief of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Inc., And National Automobile Dealers Association as Amici Curiae In Support of Respondents
    • Question 

    Does the NHTSA regulation allowing vehicle manufacturers to install either lap-only or lap/shoulder seatbelts in certain seating positions impliedly preempt a state-law claim alleging that the manufacturer should have installed lap/should seatbelts in one of its seating positions?

    Argument Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc. - Oral ArgumentFull Transcript Text  Download MP3Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc. - Opinion AnnouncementFull Transcript Text  Download MP3 Conclusion  Decision: 8 votes for Williamson, 0 vote(s) against Legal provision: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208

    No. The Supreme Court reversed the lower court decision in a unanimous opinion by Justice Stephen Breyer. The court held that the state tort lawsuit in this case is not preempted by federal auto safety standards. Justice Sonia Sotomayor filed a concurring opinion, while Justice Clarence Thomas filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Justice Elena Kagan took no part in consideration of the case.