Riley v. Warren Manufacturing, Inc.

688 A.2d 221, 455 Pa. Super. 384, 1997 Pa. Super. LEXIS 180
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 21, 1997
Docket00898
StatusPublished
Cited by51 cases

This text of 688 A.2d 221 (Riley v. Warren Manufacturing, Inc.) 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
Riley v. Warren Manufacturing, Inc., 688 A.2d 221, 455 Pa. Super. 384, 1997 Pa. Super. LEXIS 180 (Pa. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

SCHILLER, Judge.

Appellants, Rickey L. Riley, Joan M. Riley and Coby Riley, bring this appeal from the judgment entered by the Court of Common Pleas of York County on a directed verdict in favor of appellee Warren Manufacturing, Inc. We affirm.

FACTS:

The facts in this case are not in dispute. Appellee Warren Manufacturing, Inc. (‘Warren”) is a manufacturer of bulk feed trailers which are used to transport animal feed from suppliers to various farms. Warren equips its trailers with an airlock device, manufactured by A.W. Stauffer & Sons (“Stauffer”), which forces the feed from the trailer through a discharge tube located at the rear of the truck. The airlock mechanism consists of eight blades or vanes that rotate at a high speed in order to expel the feed. These blades are located 6% inches from the end of the discharge tube. A steel hose or “elbow” is attached to the discharge tube to prevent the feed from blowing in all directions. Agricultural Commodities, Inc. (“AgCom”) used such a bulk feed trailer, which it had purchased from Warren, to supply its customers with bulk feed.

On August 2, 1991, James Krichten, an employee of AgCom was operating the bulk feed trailer. Krichten’s grandson, Coby Riley, (“Coby”) accompanied him as he made his regular stops to deliver the feed. When Krichten and Coby returned to AgCom, Krichten activated the airlock in order to discharge residue. At the same time, Coby placed his fingers into the discharge tube, making contact with the blades of the airlock device. As a result, Coby had his left index, middle, and ring finger, along with the tip of his left pinky cut off. Surgeons were able to re-attach his index and middle fingers; Cob/s ring finger was not located.

*389 Appellants sued AgCom, Stauffer and Warren. AgCom and Stauffer settled with appellants before trial; the case proceeded to trial against Warren on the sole theory of products liability. Appellants contended that the design of the trailer was defective because the opening to the airlock was unguarded and unsafe. At the close of appellants’ evidence, Warren moved for a compulsory non-suit, which was denied. However, after presenting its case, Warren moved for a directed verdict, which was granted. The basis of the directed verdict was that appellants failed to prove that the bulk-feed trailer was unreasonably dangerous. Appellants’ motions for post-trial relief were denied and this appeal followed.

DISCUSSION:

The issue in this case is whether the trial court erred in directing a verdict in favor of appellee on the ground that the trailer design was not “unreasonably dangerous.”

In reviewing a trial court’s decision to direct a verdict in favor of a defendant, we must view the evidence presented in the light most favorable to plaintiff and determine whether plaintiff failed to prove his case as a matter of law. Edwards v. Brandywine Hospital, 438 Pa.Super. 673, 678, 652 A.2d 1382, 1384 (1995). If a jury could have reasonably concluded on the basis of the evidence and all reasonable inferences therefrom that liability should rest with the appellee, then the decision to direct a verdict must be reversed. Lattanze v. Silverstrini, 302 Pa.Super. 217, 220, 448 A.2d 605, 606 (1982). In examining the trial court’s determination to direct verdict, our standard of review is plenary, as it is with any review of questions of law. Phillips v. A-Best Products Co., 542 Pa. 124, 130, 665 A.2d 1167, 1170 (1995).

Court control of jury action in products liability cases is more extensive than in an ordinary negligence action. Dambacher by Dambacher v. Mallis, 336 Pa.Super. 22, 47, 485 A.2d 408, 422 (1984). In Azzarello v. Black Bros. Co., Inc., 480 Pa. 547, 558, 391 A.2d 1020, 1026 (1978), the Supreme Court held that it is a judicial function to decide whether, under the plaintiffs version of the facts, recovery would be *390 justified; and only after this judicial determination is made is the cause submitted to the jury to determine whether the facts of the case support the averments of the complaint. Id. at 558, 391 A.2d at 1026.

In products liability cases, § 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts has been adopted as the law of this Commonwealth, Webb. v. Zern, 422 Pa. 424, 220 A.2d 853 (1966), and to prevail, the plaintiff must prove (1) that the product was defective, (2) that the defect existed when it left the hands of the defendant, and (3) that the defect caused the harm. Ellis v. Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. 376 Pa.Super. 220, 235, 545 A.2d 906, 909 (1988). 1 The threshold inquiry in all products liability cases is whether there is a defect. Dambacher, supra at 52, 485 A.2d at 425. This threshold can be crossed in one of two ways: either by proving a breakdown in the machine or a component thereof, traditionally known as a manufacturing defect; or in cases where there is no breakdown, by proving that the design of the machine results in an unreasonably dangerous product, traditionally known as a design defect. See Ellis v. Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., supra. The latter is the issue that is before us in this case.

The question of whether a product is unreasonably dangerous is a question of law. Azzarello, supra at 556, 391 A.2d at 1026. In answering this question a court is essentially making a social policy determination and acting as both a social philosopher and a risk-utility economic analyst. Fitzp *391 atrick v. Madonna, 424 Pa.Super. 473, 476, 623 A.2d 322, 324 (1993). 2 In Dambacher, supra, this Court identified certain factors to consider in making this determination:

[T]he gravity of the danger posed by the challenged design; the likelihood that such danger would occur; the mechanical feasibility of a safer design; and the adverse consequences to the product and to the consumer that would result from a safer design, (citation omitted).

Id. at 50 n. 5, 485 A.2d at 423 n. 5. The Court also cited to additional factors, which included:

(1) The usefulness and desirability of the product — its utility to the user and to the public as a whole.
(2) The safety aspects of a product — the likelihood that it will cause injury, and the probable seriousness of the injury.

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Bluebook (online)
688 A.2d 221, 455 Pa. Super. 384, 1997 Pa. Super. LEXIS 180, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/riley-v-warren-manufacturing-inc-pasuperct-1997.