Olson v. Village of Babbitt

189 N.W.2d 701, 291 Minn. 105, 1971 Minn. LEXIS 999
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedAugust 20, 1971
Docket42245
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 189 N.W.2d 701 (Olson v. Village of Babbitt) 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
Olson v. Village of Babbitt, 189 N.W.2d 701, 291 Minn. 105, 1971 Minn. LEXIS 999 (Mich. 1971).

Opinions

Kelly, Justice.

Appeal by the village of Babbitt and the Babbitt Recreation Commission from portions of an order denying a new trial and a judgment of the district court determining that appellants recover nothing on a cross-claim for contribution or indemnification against their codefendant, Illinois Fireworks Company, Inc., of Danville, Illinois.

Appellant village purchased a fireworks display from respondent, Illinois Fireworks, and delegated to its fire chief, Harold Backman, the responsibility for shooting them off in a field adjacent to town on the evening of July 4, 1967. The following day a group of boys, ranging in age from 9 to 13 years 10 months, searched the display site and found a firework which had been [107]*107shot into the air but had failed to explode. Edward Olson, the oldest member of the group, cut a hole in the side of the firework canister, poured powder from it and ignited the powder several times. On the last ignition the firework exploded, causing severe injury to Edward’s left hand. Edward’s father, Ervin Olson, individually and as natural guardian of Edward, commenced an action against the village of Babbitt, its recreation commission, and Illinois Fireworks to recover damages for the injury. Pursuant to jury interrogatories, the district court ordered judgment in favor of plaintiffs against defendant village; in favor of Illinois Fireworks against plaintiffs; and dismissing the cross-claims of the village and Illinois Fireworks against each other for contribution or indemnification. Appellants’ subsequent alternative motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, amended findings of fact and conclusions of law, or for a new trial on all issues, was denied by the trial court, subject to remittitur. Plaintiffs agreed to accept the reduced awards, and judgment was entered accordingly. The village and the commission thereupon appealed from the order denying their alternative motion and from the judgment. Appellants subsequently settled with plaintiffs and continue only the appeal from the adverse determination on the cross-claim against Illinois Fireworks for contribution or indemnification.

Two issues are before this court: (1) Whether there is any evidence to sustain the answer to special interrogatory No. 3, by which the jury found that the firework which exploded was not used for a “purpose intended or reasonably expected” by Illinois Fireworks; and (2) whether the evidence entitles the village to contribution or indemnification.

We affirm the determination of the trial court on both issues.

The theory advanced by plaintiffs against respondent Illinois Fireworks in the trial below was strict liability in tort based on an allegedly defective fuse construction in the firework. The trial court based its judgment on the jury answers to the following special interrogatories:

[108]*108“1. Was Defendant Illinois Fireworks Company engaged in the business of manufacturing fireworks?

Yes X No -

“2. Was the firework expected to and did it reach and was it properly fired by the Village of Babbitt without substantial change in the condition in which it was sold ?

“3. Was the firework found in the field by the boys used by the boys for a purpose intended or reasonably expected by the Illinois Fireworks Company?

Yes - No X

“4. Was the firework found by the boys defective?

“5. Was the firework found by the boys unreasonably dangerous to the person when using the firework?

“6. Did Edward Olson sustain injuries directly resulting from the use of the firework that was found in the field ?

Yes X No -”

Appellants contend that the use of this firework by a boy of Edward Olson’s age was one which could be “reasonably expected” by Illinois Fireworks in light of (1) respondent’s knowledge of the dangerous nature of fireworks and the possibility of “duds”; and (2) the absence of firing instructions warning of “duds” and the need to police the firing area for them.

We reject this contention, as there is ample evidence from which the jury could draw the inferences necessary to support a negative answer to interrogatory No. 3.

It is common knowledge that fireworks are a dangerous instrumentality. In fact, this state has restricted their sale and use only to municipalities and fair associations, or such other organizations as are able to secure a display permit upon a showing that the operator is competent and that the display will be fired so as not to endanger any person or be hazardous to property. Minn. St. 624.20 to 624.25. Under these laws the permittee is [109]*109prohibited from further transfer of the fireworks. It is the apparent purpose of these sections to delimit the class of persons handling fireworks to those who are competent and will exercise a very high degree of care in their use.

Illinois Fireworks was aware of this statutory requirement and procured from the village a copy of the permit necessary to allow display of the fireworks before shipment to appellant. Thus, at the very outset, it appears that Illinois Fireworks was taking those precautions which would reasonably assure that its product would be used only for display by the village. The manufacturer did send numerous instructions with the fireworks which were ignored in a number of instances.1 ****6Appellants make much of the fact that the instruction sheet accompanying the fireworks contained no instruction directing a policing of the display area for “duds” after firing, but the sheet did warn that a malfunction might occur if the fireworks were mishandled or improperly loaded or fired. In fact, Harold Backman, the fire chief who was responsible for firing the display, realized that it was possible a shell or firework might not explode. He testified that as a part of the display firing procedure employed by [110]*110the village, two men were assigned to watch that the fireworks which left the mortars exploded in the air. These men did not report any “duds”; yet there were apparently at least two shells fired which failed to explode in the air.* 2

Presumably the purpose of having men watch for “duds” would be that of policing the area if any of the fireworks failed to explode. Despite respondent’s warning that “duds” could occur; despite the fire chief’s special appreciation of this warning; and despite the commonly accepted danger of fireworks and the marking on each individual firework, “Dangerous Explosive,” Backman and his assistants failed to search the display area for fireworks which had possibly malfunctioned. From the warnings given and the fact that the purchaser here was a village holding a state permit, it was permissible for the jury to draw the inference that Illinois Fireworks could reasonably anticipate that the village would take all reasonable steps to eliminate the possibility that a “dud” might fall into the hands of a youngster and then be used in a manner not intended nor reasonably expected. Edward Olson’s use of this firework was one which might be reasonably expected only if we assume that it will fall into his hands. However, here there was no reason for respondent to expect that Edward would become a “consumer” or “user” of this product within the requirements for strict liability set forth in Restatement, Torts (2d) § 402A and adopted by this court.3

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Olson v. Village of Babbitt
189 N.W.2d 701 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
189 N.W.2d 701, 291 Minn. 105, 1971 Minn. LEXIS 999, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/olson-v-village-of-babbitt-minn-1971.