Weaver v. Chrysler Corp.

172 F.R.D. 96, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3769, 1997 WL 148248
District Court, S.D. New York·Decided March 27, 1997·No. No. 96 Civil 2245 (DAB)·Published·Cited by 60 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

BATTS, United States District Judge.

Plaintiff, Kenneth Weaver, brings this action on behalf of the putative class of all owners and lessees of certain vehicles manufactured by Defendant Chrysler Corporation (“Chrysler”) and equipped with allegedly defective integrated child safety seats. Plaintiffs Amended Complaint alleges four causes of action: common law fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of implied warranty, and violation of the New York Consumer Protection Act. Defendant moves to dismiss all the counts in the Amended Complaint upon various grounds. For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s motion is granted.

I. BACKGROUND

Chrysler, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of automobiles, is a Delaware corporation with its primary place of business in Michigan. (Am.Compl.¶ 3.) From at least 1993-95, Chrysler manufactured vehicles equipped with integrated child safety seats containing shoulder belt clips. (Am. Compl.¶¶ 2, 12.) The integrated child seats were part of a marketing strategy designed to emphasize the convenience and safety of Chrysler’s vehicles. (Am.Compl.¶ 10.) Plaintiff alleges that the shoulder belt clips on the integrated child seats in Chrysler’s vehicles are defective, in that they improperly unlatch and separate. (Am.Compl.¶ 10.)

In 1993, Plaintiff, a citizen of California, purchased a Plymouth Voyager, a vehicle manufactured by Chrysler, allegedly relying on representations, advertising, and other promotional materials prepared and approved by Chrysler. (Am.Compl.¶¶ 2, 14.) Some of Chrysler’s advertising and promotions were done through media based in New York. (Am.Compl.¶ 2.) Plaintiff alleges that Chrysler spent millions of dollars in advertising the purported quality of its vehicles, but failed to warn the public of the defective shoulder belt clip on the integrated child seat. (Am.Compl.¶¶ 3, 13.) Plaintiff contends that Chrysler was in a “superior position” to know of the defect in the child [99] seat through design and test data and field reports. (Am.Compl.¶ 16.)

Chrysler has denied the existence of any defect in the integrated child seat, but has discontinued the use of the shoulder belt clip and now uses, as of model-year 1996, a shoulder belt clip with a central buckle. (Am. Compl.¶ 10.) Chrysler attributes any problems that consumers experienced with its child seats to consumer unfamiliarity with a novel design. (Am.Compl.¶ 11.) Chrysler has not recalled any of the vehicles equipped with the allegedly defective integrated child seat. (Am.Compl.¶ 12.)

Plaintiff has brought suit on behalf of the putative class of owners and lessees of Chrysler vehicles equipped with the defective child seat, alleging fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of implied warranty, and violation of the New York Consumer Protection Act. Defendants move to dismiss all four counts of the Amended Complaint, alleging that Plaintiff has failed to state a claim and has failed to plead fraud with particularity.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Failure to State a Claim

Defendants move to dismiss all the counts of the Amended Complaint, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. In deciding a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the Court must read the ComjDlaint generously, accepting as true the factual allegations in the Complaint and drawing all inferences in favor of the pleader. Mills v. Polar Molecular Corp., 12 F.3d 1170, 1174 (2d Cir.1993). The Court should deny the motion “unless it appears ‘beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.’ ” Cortec Indus., Inc. v. Sum Holding L.P., 949 F.2d 42, 47 (2d Cir.1991), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 960, 112 S.Ct. 1561, 118 L.Ed.2d 208 (1992) (quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 102, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957)). Because a 12(b)(6) motion is used to assess the legal feasibility of a Complaint, a Court should not “assay the weight of the evidence which might be offered in support thereof.” Ryder Energy Distribution Corp. v. Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc., 748 F.2d 774, 779 (1984). Rather, the Court must limit its consideration to the facts that appear on the face of the Complaint. Id.

1. Fraud, Negligent Misrepresentation and Breach of Warranty Claims

Defendant argues that Plaintiff has failed to plead any damages, and that damages are an essential element of claims for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of warranty, Counts I, II, and III respectively of Plaintiffs Amended Complaint. (Def.’s Mem. Law at 6-14.) See, e.g., Buckman v. New York on Location, Inc., 1996 WL 578245, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 7, 1996) (stating elements of breach of warranty claim); Garcia v. Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc., 1993 WL 177936, at *2-3 (S.D.N.Y. May 17,1993) (stating elements for fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims). Specifically, Defendant contends that because Plaintiff has not alleged that the child seat in his vehicle malfunctioned or is defective, he has failed to allege any actual damage and, thus, has not stated a claim. (Def.’s Mem. Law at 6, 8, 11.) Plaintiff maintains that he has sufficiently pleaded damages, in that the Amended Complaint alleges that he paid more for his vehicle than he would have had he known of the defect. (Am. Compl. ¶ 14; Pl.’s Mem. Law at 11.)

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Weaver v. Chrysler Corp., 172 F.R.D. 96, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3769, 1997 WL 148248 (S.D.N.Y. 1997).

172 F.R.D. 96 (Weaver v. Chrysler Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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