Deere v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

175 F.R.D. 157, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12652, 1997 WL 523592
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedAugust 22, 1997
DocketNo. 95-CV-668
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 175 F.R.D. 157 (Deere v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Deere v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 175 F.R.D. 157, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12652, 1997 WL 523592 (N.D.N.Y. 1997).

Opinion

[160]*160 MEMORANDUM-DECISION and ORDER

HURD, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

On April 21, 1995, the plaintiff, Hooter Deere (“Deere”), filed a personal injury action in the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of Fulton. Deere alleged that he was injured when a tire manufactured by the defendant, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (“Goodyear”), exploded during inflation. Subsequently, on May 17, 1995, Goodyear removed the action to the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.

Goodyear now moves for Summary Judgment pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56, dismissing plaintiffs products liability claims for design defect and failure to warn. In addition, Goodyear makes a motion in limine excluding plaintiffs expert, H.R. Baumgardner (“Baumgardner”) from testifying at trial. In support of its motions, Goodyear has submitted a memorandum of law; an attorney’s affidavit; and a statement of undisputed facts pursuant to Local Rule 7.1(f). Plaintiff opposes Goodyear’s motions and additionally moves to amend the complaint, adding punitive damages. In opposition to Goodyear’s motions and in support of their cross motion, plaintiff has submitted memorandums of law, an attorney’s affidavit, and a statement of undisputed facts pursuant to Local Rule 7.1(f). Oral argument was heard on July 31, 1997, in Albany, New York. Decision was reserved.

II. FACTS

The plaintiff, a resident of Fort Plain, New York, was raised on the family farm and received his high school diploma from Schoharie Central School. In addition to the instruction received upon the farm, as a student at Schoharie Central School, Deere’s occupational/educational courses reviewed the methods of inflating and replacing tires. These specific courses were metal trade, electrical trade, and tractor and machinery maintenance. Át the age of eighteen, Deere left the family farm and thereafter worked various jobs involving machinery maintenance. These jobs all specifically involved the replacement and maintenance of tires.

In 1994, Deere began working for Ephrata Safety Systems (“Ephrata”). Employed as a mechanic, his duties included maintaining and replacing the tires on the machinery and equipment. Among the machinery was a dump truck employing a dual assembly tire system. A dual assembly tire system consists of two tires positioned side by side that run in unison. On September 30, 1994, Deere prepared to change the inside tire from the dual assembly on Ephrata’s dump truck. Without making an inquiry as to whether the tire had been run flat, Deere determined that the tire was still good after a visual and physical inspection. However, as Deere proceeded to inflate the tire, the tire exploded from what is known as a “zipper rupture phenomenon,” sending Deere across the floor eight to ten feet away from the exploded tire. As a result of the explosion, Deere alleges that he was injured internally and externally, and disabled from his duties with Ephrata.

The tire that Deere attempted to inflate and reinstall on his employer’s truck was manufactured by Goodyear in January 1988. Again, in 1994, the tire was retreaded by Goodyear and sent to be used by Deere’s employer, Ephrata. As a result, Deere maintains that Goodyear is liable under theories of products liability and negligence. In particular, Deere contends that Goodyear is strictly liable because the zipper rupture was caused by a defective design, and Goodyear failed to warn that re-inflation following a run flat situation may lead to serious bodily injury. Also, Deere claims that Goodyear was negligent for retreading the tire and sending it to the plaintiffs employer for use on their dump truck.

III. DISCUSSION

1. Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment must be granted when the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions and affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and that the moving party is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of [161]*161law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56; Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247,106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Lang v. Retirement Living Pub. Co., 949 F.2d 576, 580 (2d Cir.1991). The moving party carries the initial burden of demonstrating an absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56; Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Thompson v. Gjivoje, 896 F.2d 716, 720 (2d Cir.1990). Facts, inferences therefrom, and ambiguities must be viewed in a light most favorable to the nonmovant. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); Project Release v. Prevost, 722 F.2d 960, 968 (2d Cir.1983).

When the moving party has met the burden, the nonmoving party “must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. at 1356. At that point, the non-moving party “must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56: Liberty Lobby Inc., 477 U.S. at 250, 106 S.Ct. at 2511; Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., 475 U.S. at 587, 106 S.Ct. at 1356. To withstand a summary judgment motion, evidence must exist upon which a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmovant. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. at 248-249, 106 S.Ct. at 2510-11; Matsushita Elec, Indus. Co., 475 U.S. at 587,106 S.Ct. at 1356. Thus, summary judgment is proper where there is “little or no evidence ... in support of the non-moving party’s ease.” Gallo v. Prudential Residential Servs., 22 F.3d 1219, 1223-1224 (2d Cir.1994) (citations omitted).

2. Design Defect

In New York, a manufacturer of a defective product is strictly liable if: (1) the product is defective because it was not reasonably safe as marketed; (2) the product was used in a way that it was intended to be used; (3) the defect was a substantial factor in causing the injuries; (4) the exercise of reasonable care would not have exposed the defect or prevented the danger; and (5) the exercise of ordinary care would not have avoided the injury.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Katt v. City of New York
151 F. Supp. 2d 313 (S.D. New York, 2001)
Tompkins v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
92 F. Supp. 2d 70 (N.D. New York, 2000)
Colombo v. CMI Corp.
26 F. Supp. 2d 574 (W.D. New York, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
175 F.R.D. 157, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12652, 1997 WL 523592, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deere-v-goodyear-tire-rubber-co-nynd-1997.