Jackson v. Tesla, Inc.
Opinion
Trial Court Opinion
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 6 SYLVIA JACKSON, et al., Case No. 22-cv-04380-PCP
Plaintiffs,
ORDER DENYING MOTIONS TO
v. DISQUALIFY, TRANSFER, AND
APPLY MARYLAND LAW
TESLA, INC.,
Defendant.
12 In this products liability case involving a Tesla Model 3 vehicle, defendant Tesla, Inc. moves to disqualify me, to transfer the case to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Maryland, and to apply Maryland products liability law. For the reasons set forth below, Tesla’s motions are denied. BACKGROUND On the evening of November 24, 2021, plaintiff Sylvia Jackson stood near the trunk of her car in the parking lot of the Giant grocery store in Germantown, Maryland.1 She had just finished shopping for groceries. As Ms. Jackson loaded bags into her car, an individual driving a 2020 Tesla Model 3 slowed to a stop directly behind Ms. Jackson’s vehicle and waited for her to finish unloading her groceries. Without warning, the…