Ron Bouchard's Auto Service, Inc. v. Donna M. Godfrey Trust

On October 9, 1999, Donna M. Godfrey (“Godfrey”) drove her 1998 Dodge Dakota 4X4 (the “truck”) along a bumpy, flooded street into a deep puddle of standing water. The truck engine abruptly died. Godfrey’s unsuccessful insurance and warranty claims for the repair of the truck culminated in this lawsuit.

The truck was leased in 1998 from plaintiff Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores, Inc. (“Bouchard”) by the Donna M. Godfrey Trust (the ‘Trust”) for God-frey’s use,4 and was towed to Bouchard’s for repairs when its engine failed in October, 1999. Bouchard is a Chrysler Corporation (“Chrysler”) authorized…