Michael J. Scanlon, Plaintiff-Respondent v. General Motors Corporation, Chevrolet Motor Division and I. J…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed the Appellate Division and reinstated the trial court's judgment granting summary judgment to the defendants, holding that the plaintiff failed to prove a defect existed while the vehicle was in the control of the manufacturer or retailer. The Court emphasized that the plaintiff's expert testimony was unsupported by the evidence and that no inference of a defect could be drawn, so no jury issue existed. Justice Pashman dissented, arguing that reasonable minds could differ on the issue of liability.