Opinion ID: 1920213
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mississippi Statute v. Texas Statute.

Text: ¶ 22. RJR argues that a broad definition of products liability action was intended by the Mississippi Legislature when it adopted § 11-1-63. Furthermore, RJR argues that the Texas products liability statute cited in Sanchez v. Liggett & Myers, Inc., 187 F.3d 486 (5th Cir.1999), is no broader than § 11-1-63. ¶ 23. The Texas Legislature defined a products liability action as: any action against a manufacturer or seller for recovery of damages arising out of personal injury, death, or property damage allegedly caused by a defective product whether the action is based in strict tort liability, strict products liability, negligence, mis-representation, breach of express or implied warranty, or any other theory or combination of theories. Sanchez, 187 F.3d at 489 (quoting Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code § 82.001(2) (Vernon 1997)). ¶ 24. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-1-63 contains no such definition. However, the defendants wish to impute this definition into any action for damages. In its brief, RJR includes a copy of a newspaper article in an attempt to show the intent of the drafters in enacting § 11-1-63. However, because the statute is not ambiguous, this Court will not consider same. See Allred v. Yarborough, 843 So.2d 727, 729 (Miss.2003) (citations omitted) (In considering a statute passed by the legislature,... the first question a court should decide is whether the statute is ambiguous. If it is not ambiguous, the court should simply apply the statute according to its plain meaning and should not use principles of statutory construction.). To adopt the Texas definition into a Mississippi statute would require this Court to assume powers confided to another branch of government  the Legislature. See Miss. Const. art. 1, § 1. We decline to do so, and for good reason. See Rohrbacher v. City of Jackson, 51 Miss. 735, 745 (1875) (The representative body is entrusted with the responsibility of consulting the public interest and carrying out public policy by the enactment of laws. The power to review their fitness and wisdom does not belong to the courts.).