Opinion ID: 1286572
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sapp Appeal

Text: In 2004, Appellant Jeffrey M. Sapp purchased a 2000 Ford F-150 truck from Atlantic Coast Construction for $5,000. The truck had 190,000 miles on it at the time of sale and Sapp bought it as is. On May 16, 2005, while Sapp was driving the truck, the cruise control stopped working, and the truck caught fire shortly after Sapp parked. The fire did not injure Sapp or damage any property other than the vehicle itself. He filed a claim with his insurance company, and approximately three months later, the truck was repaired and returned to him. The repair costs were approximately $7,000. Sapp filed suit against Ford alleging causes of action for negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty, and fraud/misrepresentation. Sapp alleged Ford knew of a design defect in the cruise control switch, which would short circuit and cause a fire in the engine compartment. The trial court granted summary judgment as to all causes of action and specifically found that the economic loss rule precluded the tort claims.