Opinion ID: 1797846
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: first amendment and nature of the advertisements

Text: As an initial matter, I feel I must first address what, if any, impact the First Amendment would have relative to GM's liability. GM argued that in order to regulate speech, the state must have a compelling interest and the means used to regulate the interest must be narrowly tailored to accomplish the state's purpose. GM further argued, absent a proven clear and present danger, its advertisements are protected by the First Amendment In Central Hudson Gas & Elec. Corp. v. Public Serv. Comm., 447 U.S. 557, 563, 100 S.Ct. 2343, 2359, 65 L.Ed.2d 341 (1980), the Court observed, The First Amendment's concern for commercial speech is based on the informational function of advertising. (citation omitted) Consequently, there can be no constitutional objection to the suppression of commercial messages that do not accurately inform the public about lawful activity. The Court went on to conclude, [f]or commercial speech to come within the protection of the First Amendment, at a minimum it must at least concern a lawful activity and not be misleading. Id. at 566, 100 S.Ct. 2343, 2351. Therefore, if a jury determines that an advertisement is misleading, that advertisement will not be shielded by the First Amendment as was argued by GM. Upon a review of the record, I cannot say the jury's determination GM's advertisements were misleading was manifestly erroneous. During the lengthy trial, the jury was presented with the advertisements themselves and testimony which addressed the alleged misleading nature of those advertisements regarding the 1986 Corvette's safety, handling, and revolutionary new braking capabilities. For example, in describing the 1986 Corvette's braking system, a feature story in the Corvette catalog described a hypothetical involving the fabled German autobahn: A light rain is falling. You come over the top of the hill, halfway through a long sweeping curve that keeps bending away out of sight ahead of you, when suddenly you come upon the grandmother of all traffic jams. What do you do? Nothing cute, that's for certain. You simply apply the brakes and hope for the best. Your Corvette will stop. In fact, it will stop so well that you'll be proud, pleased and perfectly amazed. You can express your gratitude to one of the best friends you'll ever have, a device called the Bosch ABS II anti-lock braking system. In the Corvette News, GM's articles featured stories which described how the ABS worked, how it was designed, and what its presence meant in terms of handling and braking. The articles described how, because of ABS technology, the 1986 Corvette was able to brake and steer at the same time. The articles proclaimed the ABS worked so well, if you were forced to brake on an icy surface, you may not know the road you were on was icy. Furthermore, [b]ecause ABS provides the ability to always get a controlled stop in the shortest possible distance, Corvette race drivers will have to change their driving techniques ... you can go quite a bit deeper into a corner, apply the brakes very hard and let the system prevent loss of control. GM also advertised the 1986 Corvette and its revolutionary ABS in popular magazines such as Road & Track, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend. These advertisements described the Corvette as a machine of almost heroic capabilities, possessing a new dimension to car control matching its suspension and tires to its standard anti-lock brake system. Some of the advertisements featured photographs, graphs, diagrams, and text which also extolled the improved braking capability of the 1986 Corvette. In one of these advertisements, the headline read: The 1986 Corvette incorporates technology that allows you to maintain steering control during hard braking-even on a rain slick curve. The advertisement went on to describe a test where the 1986 Corvette was matched against some of the world's finest sports cars. Describing the test and the results, the advertisement explained how on a rain-slick, 150 foot radius curve, at maximum braking in USAC-certified testing, only the 1986 Corvette was able to steer and brake simultaneously, safely negotiating the curve. In a similar advertisement, the headline read: Anti-lock braking power you can grade on a curve. The photographs above the bold-face headline depicted four of the world's finest sports cars sliding out-of-control on a rain-slick curve, while the photograph below the bold-faced headline depicted the Corvette in control, apparently on the same rainy curve. Below the photograph was a graph which seemed to outline the test results. In the graph, the Corvette was shown as remaining in its lane while it negotiated the curve. In contrast the other vehicles were portrayed as continuing to go straight rather than remaining in their lanes as the curve began to sweep. The following text was found in the bottom third of the full page ad: You're driving 55 mph on a rain-slick curve. Suddenly the unexpected: You stand on the brake pedal and steer to stay in your lane. You might expect Europe's most exotic cars to handle such a crisis effortlessly. Yet for all its awesome straight-line braking ability, Ferrari 308 GTSi failed to negotiate a 150-foot radius curve at maximum braking in USAC-certified testing ... Only the 1986 Corvette demonstrated the ability to steer and stop in these conditions at the same time. Only Corvette made the turn while coming to a controlled stop. When conditions turn foul, Corvette's new computerized Bosch ABS II anti-lock braking system is designed to help improve a driver's ability to simultaneously brake and steer out of trouble. Why does the Corvette feature the world's most advanced braking technology? Because a world-class champion should give you the edge in an emergency. Full single-page and two-page variations of this advertisement appeared in the different popular magazines. Engineering experts who testified for the plaintiff stated that, in their opinion, the advertisements suggested a 1986 Corvette could come to a controlled stop from 55 m.p.h., on a rain-slick surface, in a 150 foot radius curve. The plaintiff's engineers testified this was physically impossible. Engineering experts who testified for the defendant conceded this point. However, the defense engineers felt the plaintiff's engineer's conclusion regarding the advertisement's message was in error. In the defense expert's view, the advertisement presented two sets of truthful facts, one set of facts established a hypothetical situation involving a rain-slick surface and a vehicle traveling at 55 m.p.h., while the second set of facts described an actual test which was successfully conducted involving a 150 foot radius curve at maximum braking, with no indication of speed. Although steadfastly adhering to his position each portion of the particular advertisement in question was truthful, one of the defense's experts admitted on cross-examination it was possible the advertisement could be misread. [2] As is often the case in a civil trial, experts who testified on the plaintiff's behalf consistently stated the advertisements produced by GM were misleading; conversely, with the exception of the two advertisements mentioned, defense experts consistently stated the advertisements were not misleading. In this case, the jury was clearly presented with two reasonable views. When a jury is presented with two reasonable views, their choice between the two cannot be manifestly erroneous. Rosell v. ESCO, supra . For this reason, I cannot say the jury's determination GM's advertisements were misleading was manifestly erroneous. A finding that the advertisements were misleading is the first step in the analysis and not the end of the inquiry into whether or not GM is liable for the injuries sustained by the plaintiff. In order to be held liable for the misrepresentations, the plaintiff must also prove, as in all civil cases, the defendant is liable under one of the theories of liability.