The Supreme Court Finds No Conflict Pre-emption Based on Federal Seatbelt Regulation
Yesterday, in Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc., No. 08-1314, the United States Supreme Court limited implied pre-emption of state law claims under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act to circumstances in which preservation of a manufacturer’s ability to choose among specified safety options is a significant objective of the federal scheme, and held that a suit asserting state law claims against a vehicle manufacturer for installing a lap-belt instead of a lap-and-shoulder belt is not pre-empted under that standard.