Heavyweight Jurisdiction Fight Set to Be Argued at Supreme Court

Ford Motor Co. is expected to argue for tight limits on where companies can be sued outside their “home” states when the U.S. Supreme Court, missing one of its leading voices on jurisdiction issues, hears a pair of crash cases Wednesday.

Courts in Montana and Minnesota allowed product liability suits against Ford, involving a death and injury in those states, to proceed. But the cars at the center of the suits were sold in other states. And Ford argues the connections between its activities in those states and the plaintiffs’ claims aren’t close enough to satisfy due process.

The two ...