Lambert v. Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works

323 A.2d 107, 227 Pa. Super. 50, 1974 Pa. Super. LEXIS 2025
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 3, 1974
DocketAppeal, No. 459
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 323 A.2d 107 (Lambert v. Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lambert v. Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works, 323 A.2d 107, 227 Pa. Super. 50, 1974 Pa. Super. LEXIS 2025 (Pa. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

Opinion by

Hoffman, J.,

This is an appeal from a judgment in favor of the plaintiff-appellee, Daniel Lambert, who was seriously injured when an industrial split-wheel owned by the defendant-appellant, Pittsburgh Bridge and Iron Works (hereinafter “P. B. & I.”), violently separated striking Lambert in the head.

P.B. & I. operates a business in Beaver County, in the course of which it uses forklift trucks in the stacking and transporting of equipment and supplies. Upon these forklifts are what are known as “split-wheels”, which may be physically described, as follows: the wheels are assembled in two parts. The outer wheel, which includes the flange, has attached to it five bolts, by which the inner wheel is attached. In order to remove a tire, it is necessary to deflate the tire, remove [53]*53the nuts and separate the two parts of the wheel. When installing the new tire, the deflated tire is placed on the inner wheel; the outer wheel is then placed on the opposite side of the deflated tire in such a manner as to permit the bolts to pass through the corresponding holes on the inner wheel. Nuts are then affixed to the bolts and the tire is inflated to a pressure of 100 pounds.

On April 15, 1965, P.B. & I. sent one of its forklift split-wheels to the Beaver Valley Tire Service, which was in the business of selling new tires, recapping used tires and doing general tire repair work. P.B. & I. and Beaver Valley had had a long-standing business relationship, and on this particular job, Beaver Valley was to install a new tire on the wheel. Robert Mc-Candless, the owner of Beaver Valley, testified that he separated the wheel and removed the old tire. In so doing, he stated that the nuts and bolts “came off clean” and that he had no trouble separating the wheel. When McCandless was interrupted by a telephone call, the appellee herein, Daniel Lambert, who had been employed as a tire changer for approximately nine months prior thereto with Beaver Valley, continued the job. He placed a deflated new tire on the inner wheel and then proceeded to mount the outer wheel. He said that he had no difficulty placing the bolts and fastening the nuts by means of a four-way wrench. When the air pressure had reached 80 pounds, the wheel suddenly and violently separated, one portion of which struck him in the head and then in deflection carried to the ceiling approximately 14 feet above the floor, where it left an impression in the ceiling plaster.

This split-wheel was produced as an exhibit at trial, seven years after the accident. It was agreed that the condition of the wheel made it impossible to properly align the two portions of the wheel so as to fasten the [54]*54bolts and nuts adequately. The factual dispute arose out of the testimony of expert witnesses on each side who raised the question as to the point in time in which the defect arose.1 At the conclusion of the case, the trial judge over the defendant’s objection and repeated insistence that Section 388 of the Restatement of Torts (2d) was the law applicable to the case, charged the jury on the basis of Section 392 of the Restatement.2 The relevant portion of the charge reads as follows: “. . . [Liability is imposed upon persons who supply [55]*55or furnish, chattel, such as this wheel assembly for another use because of the fact that the use is one in which the supplier has a business. As we understand the evidence, as I say this wheel was used in the operation of the Defendant’s business and because of that, the law has imposed upon the Defendant the Liability which I have read to you under those circumstances. The person supplying goods under these circumstances is required not only to give warning of dangers which he knows are involved in the use of the article or which from facts within his knowledge he knows are likely to become so involved, but the person who supplies the chattel, this is the person who delivered it or furnishes it, is required to subject the chattel before delivery to such inspections as the danger of using it in a defective condition makes it reasonable to require of him. . . . [I] f you conclude that the program of maintenance and inspection outlined by Mr. Chimley [in charge of maintenance at P.B. & I. at time of accident] under these circumstances in considering the type of wheel and the use of it to be put to, was not reasonable under the circumstances, then you may conclude that the Defendant was negligent in these circumstances in delivering a chattel in that condition without making a proper inspection.”

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $20,860.00. Post-trial motions were filed, and were denied by a court en banc. This appeal has followed.

In reviewing a denial of post-trial motions by a court en banc, this Court is limited in its scope of inquiry to whether the court clearly abused its discretion, on the basis of all the evidence, in entering the order, and whether there were plain errors of controlling law. Dugan v. Niglio, 436 Pa. 22, 258 A. 2d 501 (1969); Eisert v. Jones, 399 Pa. 204, 159 A. 2d 723 [56]*56(1960). In so doing, we may affirm the judgment of the lower court where it is correct on any legal ground or theory disclosed by the record, regardless of the reason or theory adopted by the trial court. Commonwealth v. Whitehouse, 222 Pa. Superior Ct. 127, 292 A. 2d 469 (1972). Where the trial court instructs the jury on the controlling law, however, it must be assumed that the jury resolved the evidence on the basis of said law, and not on any other theory. If the jury is instructed to apply a standard of law or conduct which appears patently inapplicable to the facts in the record, judgment must be reversed and a new trial granted. On the other hand, if there is support, the record will be read in a light most favorable to the verdict winner and the rulings of the trial court. Ballinger v. Howell Mfg. Co., 407 Pa. 319, 180 A. 2d 555 (1962).

Applying the law to the instant appeal, we must determine whether there was sufficient evidence to justify instructions to the jury on Section 392. If there was, our inquiry need go no further. If, however, the trial court erred in refusing to instruct the jury on the defendant’s submitted theory, i.e., Restatement of Torts, 2d, §388,3 the effect thereof, we believe, would have been crucial to the ultimate result of the case.

[57]*57The plaintiffs case consisted of the production of the alleged wheel, and the testimony of four witnesses: the plaintiff, the former owner of Beaver Valley Tire Service, the former chief of maintenance at defendant’s place of business, and an expert metallurgical engineer. The defendant’s case rested on the testimony of two expert witnesses: James Triggs, a consulting professional engineer: and, Bussell Hastings, a professional engineer with direct experience as an Advance Engineer Manager for companies involved in the manufacture of industrial trucks and wheels.

On direct examination, Mr. McCandless testified that, as owner of the tire company, his company sold and mounted new tires or repaired old ones. He stated that he had removed the old tire from the split-wheel sent by P. B. & I., and had taken the wheel apart with no difficulty.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
323 A.2d 107, 227 Pa. Super. 50, 1974 Pa. Super. LEXIS 2025, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lambert-v-pittsburgh-bridge-iron-works-pasuperct-1974.