McRunnel v. Batco Manufacturing

917 F. Supp. 2d 946, 2013 WL 140303, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4397
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 11, 2013
DocketCivil File No. 11-755 (MJD/LIB)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 917 F. Supp. 2d 946 (McRunnel v. Batco Manufacturing) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McRunnel v. Batco Manufacturing, 917 F. Supp. 2d 946, 2013 WL 140303, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4397 (mnd 2013).

Opinion

[949]*949MEMORANDUM OF LAW & ORDER

MICHAEL J. DAVIS, Chief Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This matter is before the Court on Defendant Bateo Manufacturing’s Motion to Exclude Expert Testimony [Docket No. 47] and Motion for Summary Judgment [Docket No. 50], The Court heard oral argument on December 14, 2012. For the reasons that follow, the Court denies both motions.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

Plaintiff Adam McRunnel is a Minnesota resident. Defendant Bateo Manufacturing (“Bateo”) is a Canadian entity that does business in the United States, including in the State of Minnesota. Bateo manufactures belt conveyors and other equipment that are used for handling crops, seeds, and commodities.

Norwood Sales, Inc. is a North Dakota corporation that distributes farm equipment that is manufactured and designed by Bateo.

Circle C Seeds, Inc. (“Circle C”) is a Minnesota corporation with its principal place of business in Minnesota. McRunnel was working for Circle C at the time he sustained his injury at issue in this lawsuit.

1. The Belt Conveyor System

The belt conveyor system involved in this case was manufactured by Bateo and sold by Batco’s distributor, Norwood Sales, to Keith Chisholm Farms, Ltd., on August 27, 1999. Keith Chisholm Farms transferred ownership of the belt conveyor to Circle C. Circle C used the conveyor in its soybean processing activities.

Conveyors such as the one involved in this matter are used to transport soybeans or other grains from a truck into a grain bin or other storage facility. The convey- or system is powered by a power take off (“PTO”) shaft. When a user hooks the PTO shaft to a tractor, the tractor’s motor powers the conveyor’s S-drive, which causes the belt to run.

Beans are dumped into a hopper at the foot of the conveyor. The conveyor then transports them up a belt, discharging them into a bin or storage facility. The belt runs continuously, looping back toward the hopper area where it enters the inlet side of the S-drive.' The belt circles back from the hopper to the discharge spout.

Defendant asserts that substantial alterations were made to the Bateo conveyor after it was sold by Bateo. (Stenson Aff. ¶ 8.) First, although Bateo manufactured the conveyor with sealed bearings, which do not require greasing, located just inside the metal casing of the S-drive (Stenson Aff. ¶ 9; Stenson Dep. 57-58), the sealed bearings on the take-up roller on the side of the S-drive’s metal casing were replaced with non-sealed bearings, not manufactured by Bateo, that required periodic greasing (Stenson Aff. ¶ 9; Stenson Dep. 100). The replacement bearings were not standard Bateo equipment and were of a type that had never been supplied by Bateo. (Stenson Aff. ¶ 9; Stenson Dep. 108.)

Bateo also contends that, after the Bateo conveyor was manufactured and sold, the belt drive path was reconfigured. (Stenson Aff. ¶ 10; Stenson Aff., Ex. C.) Bateo claims that, as it originally designed and manufactured the belt, it ran from the top of the guiding return roller to the top of the 10}6 roller. (Id.) However, by the time of the accident, the belt went from the top of the guiding return roller to the bottom of the wrap roller. (Stenson Aff. ¶ 10; Stenson Aff., Ex. C; Malguarnera Report at 3-4.)

[950]*9502.The Accident

On January 18, 2010, McRunnel sustained injuries to his arm while working with the belt conveyor system manufactured by Bateo. While he was using the belt conveyor system to transfer soybeans, he heard a squeaking, squealing, or grinding sound. (McRunnel Dep. 65, 99.) McRunnel thought that the machine’s bearings needed to be greased, so he decided to grease the bearings with a grease gun. (Id. 99-104.) This required him to kneel down and reach under the conveyor in order to access the bearings. (Id. 103-04.) Plaintiff left the machine on during the greasing because he understood through his work as a mechanic that bearings are best lubricated when the machine is running. (Id. 215.) After McRunnel was done, he hung the grease gun on a long bolt on the machine. (Id. 111.) Then he “scooted” back on his hands and knees. (Id. 113.) Once he thought he was a safe distance from the belt, where he had originally squatted down, he stood and started to turn away from the conveyor, -with the right side of his body closest to the conveyor. (Id. 114-15.)

McRunnel contends that when he thought was a “safe distance,” he turned and “felt like somebody grabbed [his] arm and shoved it in the belt.” (McRunnel Dep. 104; see also id. 115-16.) The conveyor belt continued to move while his arm was caught in the machine. (Id. 118.) His arm was eventually freed from the machine when another person broke the bar that was trapping his arm. (Id. 120-21.)

McRunnel’s hand and arm were seriously injured, and he has undergone numerous surgeries. (See McRunnel Dep. 130.)

3.The Warning Labels

A warning label, located on the convey- or, on both sides of the S-drive unit, stated:

! WARNING
ROTATING PART HAZARD
KEEP AWAY
To prevent serious injury or death from rotating parts:
1. Place all controls in neutral or off, stop engine or motor, remove ignition key or disable power source and wait for all moving parts to stop before servicing, adjusting, repairing or unplugging.
2. Install and secure all guards before operating.
3. Do not operate with rotating parts exposed.

(Stenson Aff., Ex. B at BATCO 124, 142 (also showing a picture of a hand caught in the belt and a picture of an arm caught in the belt).)

A warning label on top of the tube of the conveyor stated:

! CAUTION
1. Read and understand the Operator’s Manual before operating.
2. Keep all safety shields and devices in place and in good working order.
3. Make certain everyone is clear before operating or moving the machine. Keep children, visitors and untrained people away.
4. Keep hands, feet, hair and clothing away from moving parts.

(Id. at BATCO 137, 198.)

The Bateo operator’s manual also included multiple admonitions to turn off the conveyor before performing any maintenance. (Operator’s Manual at 3, 4, 8, 44.) It also contained the same warnings that were posted on the conveyor itself. (Id. at 15-16.) The operator’s manual warned [951]*951users to stay out of the area near the inlet side of the S-drive. (Id. 5, 30.)

4. Plaintiffs Expert

Plaintiff offers the opinion of mechanical engineer Gary Huitink. Huitink notes that the conveyor at issue has an unguarded opening to the S-drive approximately 23 inches wide and 11 inches high, with a 1.5-inch gap above the small guide roller.

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917 F. Supp. 2d 946, 2013 WL 140303, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4397, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcrunnel-v-batco-manufacturing-mnd-2013.