Bel Air Auto Auction, Inc. v. Great Northern Insurance Company

Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit violate the principle of Erie v. Thompkins by denying Bel Air’s motion to defer its ruling and by deciding the appeal against Bel Air when: (a) the issue presented to it on appeal by Bel Air was pending before the Maryland Court of Appeals on a certification from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and a decision by the Maryland Court of Appeals would be dispositive on the issue to be decided by the Fourth Circuit in Bel Air’s appeal; and (b) the First and Ninth Circuits deferred ruling on appeals before them raising the same issue as was before the Fourth Circuit when the issue on appeal was pending for decision by the highest courts of the states of Massachusetts and Washington, respectively.