Choice of law for interspousal tort liability: Alan W. Ford's legacy
Development summary
Laura E. Little revisits Alan W. Ford's work on interspousal liability for automobile accidents. In Buckeye, conflict between the law of the accident and common domicile affects a spouse's ability to sue.
Little reads choice-of-law methodology alongside married women's position and insurers' interests. She shows how doctrinal analysis can reveal social and economic consequences of a seemingly technical connecting problem.
Research note
Issue
Choosing the law of the accident or common domicile for interspousal tort immunity and the social consequences of choice-of-law methodology.
Why does it matter?
The analysis makes visible how connecting methodology affects a spouse's ability to sue and insurers' liability.
Concepts
Academic details
“An Homage to Traditional Law Review Articles: Alan W. Ford and Conflict of Laws”
University Of Pittsburgh Law Review (University of Pittsburgh) · 2026
DOI 10.5195/lawreview.2026.1178