A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that an injured tractor operator can proceed with her lawsuit against the makers of the tractor’s chassis because her claims allege strict, rather than vicarious, liability.
In a Feb. 24 opinion, U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, rejecting their argument that they should be let of the case because Congress preempted state law liability for motor vehicle owners whose lessees negligently caused injuries to third parties.
