Robert A. Turner, Petitioner v. General Motors Corporation, Respondents

Summary

The Texas Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's judgment, holding that strict liability applies to crashworthiness cases where the defect causes only injury, and that the definition of "unreasonably dangerous" for design‑defect actions should be limited to the product's utility and risk without requiring the ordinary‑consumer or prudent‑manufacturer elements. The Court also rejected the appellate court's factor‑balancing instruction, held post‑event federal safety standards inadmissible, and disallowed a tax‑exemption instruction on damages. Justice Campbell, in a concurring opinion, dissented from the majority's abandonment of the bifurcated test and warned that it merges strict liability with negligence.