Opinion ID: 1101070
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: introduction

Text: ¶ 3. This case comes to this Court from the Circuit Court of Madison County which granted General Motors Corporation's (hereinafter General Motors) motion for partial summary judgment. The Cooper family brought a wrongful death action against General Motors for failure to install an air bag in the 1984 Buick driven by their now deceased son. General Motors filed a motion for summary judgment on the air bag claim (1) as being preempted by federal law, and (2) for failing to state a cognizable claim under Mississippi common law. General Motors contended that the federal motor vehicle standards gave automobile manufacturers the option of installing air bags or manual seat belts. The lower court granted the summary judgment motion on both counts. After a careful and exhausting review of the voluminous case law on air bag claims, we find that the air bag claim is preempted by federal law, and that it also fails to state a cognizable claim under Mississippi law. As such, the award of partial summary judgment to General Motors was proper.