Hinson v. Techtronic Industries Outlets, Inc.

126 F. Supp. 3d 747, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112426, 2015 WL 5024588
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedAugust 21, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 13-0851
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 126 F. Supp. 3d 747 (Hinson v. Techtronic Industries Outlets, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hinson v. Techtronic Industries Outlets, Inc., 126 F. Supp. 3d 747, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112426, 2015 WL 5024588 (W.D. La. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM RULING

REBECCA F. DOHERTY, District Judge.

Pending before the Court is the Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. 37] filed by defendants Techtronic Factory Outlets, Inc. (“Techtronic”)1 and Home Depot USA, Inc. (“Home Depot”). Defendants seek summary dismissal of all of the plaintiffs claims against them with prejudice on several grounds, as more fully discussed hereinbelow. Plaintiff James “Jamie” Hinson- (“plaintiff’) filed an opposition brief [Doc. 46], and defendants fried a Motion for Leave to File Reply Brief [Doc. 47], which is GRANTED.

For the following reasons, defendants’ motion for summary judgment is GRANTED, and the plaintiffs claims are DENIED AND DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

The instant lawsuit is a product liability action arising out of personal injuries sustained by the plaintiff while using a pressure washer allegedly manufactured by Techtronic, containing a component part manufactured by Honda (a motor), and sold fully assembled by Home Depot. The circumstances of the accident appear to be undisputed and arc as follows. On March 18, 2012, the plaintiff alleges he loaned the pressure washer to his neighbor, Mr. Nabil Loli, and was attempting to assist the neighbor in getting the pressure washer to start when the handle used to crank the engine came apart in the plaintiffs right hand, resulting in a pointed shard of the broken handle piercing the right index finger of the plaintiffs right dominant hand. The plaintiff is a self-employed stock broker. The plaintiff underwent surgery to his right hand and index finger as a result of the accident and alleges permanent sensory loss due to nerve damage in his right index finger.

With respect to the pressure washer itself, the following facts appear to be undisputed:

[750]*750• As of the date of the accident, the plaintiff had owned the pressure washer for a year and a couple of months.
• The pressure washer was used a total of eight or nine times, by plaintiff personally six or seven times and by others, including the plaintiffs brother and the plaintiffs neighbor, Nabil Loli. The pressure washer was used outside the plaintiffs presence on at least two other occasions.
• The recoil starter handle on the pressure washer was pulled 82-92 times, if not more, without incident or issue.
• At his deposition, the plaintiff explained the process he went through to start the pressure washer. He used CLR,2 a lubricant; two pulls to work CLR into the engine; another four pulls, “if not more,” to start the engine; two more pulls to restart the machine after refueling; and two more pulls to restart the machine after refueling a second time. The plaintiffs brother would have done the same when he used the pressure washer.
• The plaintiff testified that on the day of the accident, he used CLR, two pulls to work CLR into the engine, and another four pulls, “if not more,” to start it. The plaintiff testified Mr. Loli pulled another three times, and then plaintiff pulled another three or four pulls.
• Plaintiff stored the pressure washer at issue in his garage when it was not in use.
• Plaintiff never inspected the pressure washer, including the recoil starter handle, and never had anyone inspect it on his behalf, either before or after the accident.
• Plaintiff did not inspect the recoil starter handle immediately prior to the accident.
• Plaintiff did not notice any problems with the recoil starter or recoil starter handle prior to the accident.
• Plaintiffs brother did not indicate to plaintiff that he had any problems with the pressure washer during 'his use.

The plaintiff filed the instant lawsuit against Techtronic as the manufacturerof the pressure washer and Home Depot3 as [751]*751the assembler of the device, alleging claims under the Louisiana Products Liability Act (“LPLA”), La.Rev.Stat. § 9:2800.51 et seq., which the parties do not dispute governs all claims,4 as follows: (1) defective construction or composition; (2) defective design; (3) failure of adequate warning; (4) failure to conform to an express warranty; and (5) misleading marketing of the product. The plaintiff has also alleged a claim under the doctrine of res ipsa loquitor.

Defendants filed the instant motion for summary judgment on May 27, 2015, arguing plaintiff has taken no depositions nor retained any experts and can prove none of the essential elements of any of the foregoing claims in this matter, all as more fully discussed hereinbelow.

II. Law and Argument

A. Summary Judgment Standard

“A party against whom a claim, counterclaim, or cross-claim is asserted or a declaratory judgment is sought may, at any time, move with or without supporting affidavits for a summary judgment in the party’s favor as to all or any part thereof,” Fed. R. Civ. PROC. 56(b). Summary judgment is appropriate if “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. PROC. 56(c).

When a motion for summary judgment is made and supported as provided in this rule, an adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of the adverse party’s pleading, but the adverse party’s response by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this rule, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. If the adverse party does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be entered against the adverse party.

Fed. R. Crv. PROC. 56(e).

As summarized by the Fifth Circuit in Lindsey v. Sears Roebuck and Co., 16 F.3d 616, 618 (5th Cir.1994):

When seeking summary judgment, the movant bears the initial responsibility of demonstrating the absence of an issue of material fact with respect to those issues on which the movant bears the burden of proof at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). However, where the non-movant bears the burden of proof at trial, the movant may merely point to an absence of evidence, thus shifting to the non-movant the burden of demonstrating by competent summary judgment proof that there is an issue of material fact warranting trial. Id. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548; see also, Moody v. Jefferson Parish School Board, 2 F.3d 604, 606 (5th Cir.1993); Duplantis v. Shell Offshore, Inc., 948 F.2d 187, 190 (5th Cir.1991).

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126 F. Supp. 3d 747, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112426, 2015 WL 5024588, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hinson-v-techtronic-industries-outlets-inc-lawd-2015.