Magnuson v. Rupp Manufacturing, Inc.

171 N.W.2d 201, 285 Minn. 32, 1969 Minn. LEXIS 949
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedOctober 3, 1969
Docket41610
StatusPublished
Cited by45 cases

This text of 171 N.W.2d 201 (Magnuson v. Rupp Manufacturing, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Magnuson v. Rupp Manufacturing, Inc., 171 N.W.2d 201, 285 Minn. 32, 1969 Minn. LEXIS 949 (Mich. 1969).

Opinions

Nelson, Justice.

Appeal from an order of the district court which vacated a jury verdict for defendant and granted a new trial on all issues upon the exclusive ground that the court committed an error of law in not submitting to the jury an instruction on strict tort liability.

The action out of which the appeal arose was instituted for damages sustained by plaintiff, Edgar Magnuson, as a result of an accident on March 5, 1967. The accident occurred while plaintiff was operating a snowmobile manufactured by defendant, Rupp Manufacturing, Inc., a corporation located at Mansfield, Ohio. In his complaint, plaintiff alleged three counts of liability: (1) Negligence in the manufacture and design of the snowmobile; (2) breach of express and implied warranties; and (3) strict liability. The case was tried before a jury and was submitted on a general verdict. The theory submitted was negligent manufacture and design by defendant and proximate cause. Plaintiff made no request for an instruction on strict liability, and none was given.

The trial court’s order granting plaintiff’s motion for a new trial states in part:

“* * * It is the Court’s recollection that on the morning that the case was to go to the jury instructions were discussed in chambers. The Court read to counsel what was proposed to be submitted to the jury as to the negligence of the manufacturer, contributory negligence, assumption of risk, and the Court’s recollection is that counsel for plaintiff was asked specifically [35]*35whether the case was to be submitted on the question of negligence of the manufacturer and that counsel for plaintiff responded in the affirmative. However, the court reporter’s notes do not show this. No requested instructions were submitted. At the conclusion of the charge to the jury the Court asked counsel whether they wished to call the Court’s attention to any error or omission or inadvertent statement, and there was no response.”

The trial court in its memorandum attached to the order points out that in McCormack v. Hankscraft Co. Inc. 278 Minn. 322, 154 N. W. (2d) 488, this court was fully mindful of the fact that plaintiff there did not directly plead the theory of strict tort liability, request the court to instruct on it, nor urge the theory until appeal. Nevertheless, this court discussed the theory, stating that it perceived no prejudice to defendant as its liability was adequately established on the ground of negligence.

Whether this case was decided on the theory of strict tort liability is unimportant, since the issues were, according to the pleadings and plaintiff’s approach to the issues throughout the trial, fairly and adequately presented to the jury pursuant to the facts disclosed by the record. It is difficult to perceive how the exclusion of instructions on strict tort liability, under all the circumstances, has prejudiced plaintiff to the extent of denying him a fair trial.

The issue before this court is whether the trial court committed an error of law in not submitting to the jury an instruction on strict liability.

Plaintiff at the time of trial was 33 years of age, married, had four children, and resided in Granite Falls, Minnesota. He is employed as a mechanic, and his employment background is that of a mechanic. In December 1966 he and one Pat Oliger purchased a “Sno-Sport 300” snowmobile from Lyle Monson Motors, Inc., Granite Falls, Minnesota. This snowmobile was manufactured by defendant in such a manner that the motor was located under the hood in the front part of the snowmobile and [36]*36the cylinder or piston of the motor was positioned so that it was almost horizontal with the seat of the snowmobile. The spark plug of the motor was located at the top of the cylinder and faced towards the operator and is 6 to 8 inches above the seat. The spark plug extends three-fourths of an inch to one inch beyond the metal cowling or air shroud that surrounds the motor.

Plaintiff was well aware of the position of the spark plug. He had worked on the motor and removed the spark plug 5 to 10 times before the accident. He had also removed the pistons of the motor. Plaintiff identified the spark plug which was installed in the motor when it was received and this spark plug had a protective rubber insulator thereon. Plaintiff did not know if this type of protective insulator was present at the time of the accident. The evidence on that issue would indicate that it was not. Plaintiff had been hunting with the snowmobile 10 to 12 times before the accident occurred. During the course of his testimony the plaintiff identified other parts of the snowmobile which protruded toward the operator, particularly the choke button.

On March 5, 1967, plaintiff and some companions were fox hunting in the Murdock-Kerkhoven, Minnesota, area. Plaintiff was driving the snowmobile over a plowed field, which was covered with snow, at a speed of approximately 20 to 25 miles per hour. He was chasing a fox. He drove up a small knoll and then saw at ditch 10 to 12 feet deep in front of him. He went into the ditch with the snowmobile and the left ski of the machine caught in the snow, stopping the snowmobile abruptly. As it stopped, plaintiff flew off the left side of the snowmobile, striking his right knee against the spark plug and injuring himself. He was treated by Dr. Paul Schmidt in Granite Falls. Plaintiff still has the snowmobile and has raced it one time since the accident in the same condition as it was at the time of the accident. At the time of trial, he had built a guard for the spark plug.

Plaintiff’s witness, David Conkey, a professional engineer, testified that the spark plug was not guarded and was unsafe. However, as the record shows, it had been guarded prior to the [37]*37accident, to the extent of having a protective insulator thereon. The spark plug was entirely visible, of course, because the original protective insulator, according to the record, was missing at the time of the accident.

During cross-examination Conkey agreed that the degree of safety involved in the snowmobile was somewhat dependent upon the speed of the snowmobile. He also agreed that a highly important factor in so far as danger and safety are concerned is the operator. As the testimony stands, this admission seriously weakens his testimony in view of the actual fact that the snowmobile went into a 10- or 12-foot-deep ditch before any injury occurred.

Defendant commenced manufacturing snowmobiles in 1965 and of seven models produced to date the only model with a horizontal positioned motor was the “Sno-Sport 300” manufactured in 1966. The purpose for the horizontal or nearly horizontal motor positioning, according to Thomas Earhart, defendant’s director of engineering, is to keep the center of gravity low and also to give this machine a low profile.

Defendant contends that the evidence in the case did not justify an instruction on strict tort liability for the reason that strict liability is said to require evidence of a defective condition unreasonably dangerous to the user which causes injury to him. We agree that these elements were not present, and that the evidence without dispute shows that the spark plug in the snowmobile was visible and not in any way hidden and its position, condition, and construction were well known to plaintiff. The fact that plaintiff had removed the spark plug many times to clean it and to replace it does not enhance his contention that there should have been a strict liability instruction in the court’s charge.

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Bluebook (online)
171 N.W.2d 201, 285 Minn. 32, 1969 Minn. LEXIS 949, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/magnuson-v-rupp-manufacturing-inc-minn-1969.