Opinion ID: 1658150
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Ford Appeal.

Text: In Atkins v. American Motors Corp., 335 So.2d 134 (Ala.1976), and Casrell v. Altec Industries, Inc., 335 So.2d 128 (1976), this court delineated the Alabama Extended Manufacturer's Liability Doctrine. No mention was made in either of those cases of any limitation to the doctrine which would preclude its application retroactively. Ford contends that it should not be applied retroactively to cases which have been litigated beyond the pleading stage. Although this argument has some appeal, we cannot agree. We reversed the dismissal of a strict liability claim in Jett v. Honda Motor Co., Ltd., supra, based upon the Casrell and Atkins cases, supra. The accident from which the cause of action arose, and the drafting of the complaint in Jett occurred prior to our adoption of the Extended Liability Doctrine. The effect of our reversal was to apply the Doctrine retroactively. Although Jett involved an appeal at the pleading stage and Ford's comes after a trial, we cannot agree that Casrell and Atkins are inapplicable to Ford where a strict liability claim was asserted by the plaintiff at the pleading stage. In adopting the various forms of strict tort liability now prevalent in this country, other jurisdictions have applied the concept retroactively to cases in which that theory of recovery was raised. Vandermark v. Ford Motor Co., 61 Cal.2d 256, 37 Cal.Rptr. 896, 391 P.2d 168 (1964); Winnett v. Winnett, 9 Ill.App.3d 644, 292 N.E.2d 524 (1973); Dealers Transport Co. v. Battery Distributing Co., 402 S.W.2d 441 (Ky.1965). Because the plaintiff in the instant case attempted to raise the strict liability claim against Ford prior to trial, consistent with Jett, we must hold that he is entitled to proceed against Ford on that theory. The judgment of the trial court granting the plaintiff's motion for new trial against the defendant Ford is affirmed.