Elam v. Quest Chemical Corp.

884 S.W.2d 907, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 2445, 1994 WL 543261
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 6, 1994
DocketNo. 09-93-234 CV
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 884 S.W.2d 907 (Elam v. Quest Chemical Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Elam v. Quest Chemical Corp., 884 S.W.2d 907, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 2445, 1994 WL 543261 (Tex. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION

WALKER, Chief Justice.

This appeal results from a Summary Judgment entered in favor of appellee, Quest Chemical Corporation and against appellant, Bertha Elam’s claims of negligence, strict liability and breach of implied warranty.

Elam, plaintiff below, contended that she suffered personal injuries from exposure to fumes emitted by a weed killer marketed by appellee Quest, called “Doom Weed Killer,” while in her employment with the City of Beaumont, Texas.

Appellant specifically contends that her injuries were “proximately eaused by the negligence of your defendant,” (Quest Chemical Corporation being the sole appellee to this appeal). Further, that “Doom Weed Killer” was defective and unreasonably dangerous for its intended use (strict liability) and that Quest breached certain implied warranties due appellant.

Quest defends these allegations contending that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodentieide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.CA. § 136, et seq., preempts any and all state-based claims which focus upon “inadequate labeling” or “failure to warn” theories of recovery.

Our standard of review of this summary judgment matter remains unchanged even though faced with this federal preemption issue. It is incumbent upon Quest to show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and its entitlement to judgment as a matter of law; evidence favorable to the non-movant Elam, will be taken as true; and every reasonable inference must be indulged in favor of the non-movant and any doubts resolved in non-movant’s favor. Nixon v. Mr. Property Mgt. Co., 690 S.W.2d 646 (Tex.1985).

Whether summary judgment is appropriate in this ease necessarily requires this Court’s construction of 7 U.S.CA § 136v which provides:

(a) In General. A state may regulate the sale or use of any federally registered pesticide or device in the State, but only if and to the extent the regulation does not permit any sale or use prohibited by this subchapter.
(b) Uniformity. Such State shall not impose or continue in effect any requirements for labeling or packaging in addition to or different from those required under this subchapter.

In Wisconsin Public Intervenor v. Mortier, 501 U.S. 597, 111 S.Ct. 2476, 115 L.Ed.2d 532 (1991), the United States Supreme Court held that FIFRA did not preempt regulation of pesticides by local governments. In so holding, the Court declared the following: “As we have also made plain, local use permit regulations — unlike labeling or certification — do not fall within an area that FIFRA’s ‘program’ pre-empts or even plainly addresses.” (emphasis added) Mortier, supra, 501 U.S. at 615, 111 S.Ct. at 2487, 115 L.Ed.2d at 549.

In MacDonald v. Monsanto Co., 27 F.3d 1021, 1024-1025 (5th Cir.1994), the Court of Appeals applied the reasoning articulated in Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc., - U.S. -, 112 S.Ct. 2608, 120 L.Ed.2d 407 (1992), in reaching the following decision:

If the encompassing words of the statute [§ 136v(b) ] standing alone do not convince the skeptics, surely Cipollone leaves no doubt but that the FIFRA term “any requirements” makes no distinction between positive enactments and the common law. This is not to say, however, that not all common law is preempted by FIFRA— § 136v(b) does not preempt common law that is unconcerned with herbicide labeling, nor does it preempt those state laws concerned with herbicide labeling that do not impose any requirement “in addition to or different from” the FIFRA requirements. See Worm v. American Cyanamid Co., 970 F.2d 1301, 1307-1308 (4th Cir. [910]*9101992). Thus, we conclude, in accord with the clear language of the statute, that § 136v(b) preempts only those state laws that impose or effect different or additional labeling requirements, [footnote omitted]

Based upon the above cited authority, we find that FIFRA preempts all State common law tort suits against manufacturers of EPA-registered pesticides where such actions are grounded entirely in or based solely upon claims relating directly or indirectly to labeling.

In our present case, appellant’s pleadings do not directly reference appellee’s labeling of “Doom Weed Killer.” However, regarding appellant’s negligence cause of action, Quest propounded the following interrogatory:

INTERROGATORY NO. 26: In Paragraph II of your Original Petition you allege that Quest committed acts of negligence. Please state the following concerning this allegation:
(a) state the specific facts or opinion on which you rely to support this allegation;
(b) describe in detail each negligent act you allege was committed by Defendant;
(c) identify each person who has personal knowledge of the facts supporting this allegation.

The following constitutes appellant’s answer to Interrogatory No. 26:

A. There is no warning on the can that exposure to the fumes can cause injury to persons situated such as plaintiff.
B. Failure to warn.
C.' The plaintiff and any other.

In response to Quest’s motion for summary judgment, appellant, then plaintiff, presented and relied upon the affidavit of George J. Cvejanovich as an expert witness by affidavit. Mr. Cvejanovich’s qualifications indicated twenty years Industrial Hygienist, thirteen years Analytical Chemisf/Analytical Lab Supervisor, six years Analyzer Engineer, five years Instrument Engineer, ten years University Professor. The affidavit of Mr. Cvejanovich provided in substance the following:

I have reviewed the discovery materials developed to date in this case, as well as the label provided by Quest Chemical Corporation for its product, “Doom Weed Killer”. I am familiar with applicable federal statutes regarding the product label in question.
On the basis of my background, knowledge and experience, it is my opinion that the label in question does not comply with applicable federal law and does not adequately warn the user of the dangers associated with this product. It is also my opinion that Quest should have supplied complete instructions for the safe use of this product and failed to do so.

In reviewing the substance of Mr. Cvejanovich’s affidavit, it is clear that this expert is not qualified to testify in matters of law regarding the compliance or noncompliance of the subject label to applicable federal law. Clearly, the remainder of the substantive portion of Cvejanovich’s affidavit speaks to the adequacy or inadequacy of the warning label. Mr. Cvejanovich’s evidence goes directly to that which has been preempted by FIFRA. Had appellant’s negligence allegations focused upon failing to test and properly inspect “Doom Weed Killer,” our conclu- ' sion would no doubt be different.

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Related

Quest Chemical Corp. v. Elam
898 S.W.2d 819 (Texas Supreme Court, 1995)

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Bluebook (online)
884 S.W.2d 907, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 2445, 1994 WL 543261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elam-v-quest-chemical-corp-texapp-1994.