Austin v. Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc.

McKUSICK, Chief Justice.

Invoking the mechanism for state-federal judicial co-operation authorized by 4 M.R. S.A. § 57 (Supp.1982-1983) and M.R.Civ.P. 76B, the United States District Court for the District of Maine has certified to our court the following question of Maine law:

Is Maine’s comparative negligence statute, 14 M.R.S.A. § 156 [1980], applicable to plaintiff’s claim in this action based on 14 M.R.S.A. § 221 [1980]?

Our answer is yes, but in only the limited way described in this opinion.

I. Factual and Statutory Background

The certified question has arisen in the course of a federal…