Michigan Supreme Court
At issue in this case is whether, under Michigan law, a premises owner owes a duty to protect non-employee third parties from exposure to toxic materials. The plaintiff in this case is the stepdaughter of a former Ford employee who claims Ford is liable for the illness she developed from exposure to her stepfather's clothes.
This is the third such case in which the NFIB Legal Foundation has filed an amicus brief. The Legal Foundation and NFIB members firmly believe that business owners should not be help liable for third-party injuries. Extension of liability to third-party non-employees is extremely problematic for businesses in general--large and small. In addition, although this case concerns asbestos, its precedent could easily be extended to silica exposures.
Status: DECIDED. Amicus brief filed April 18, 2007. Court rejected premises owner liability.
