Salinas v. Amteck of Kentucky, Inc.

682 F. Supp. 2d 1022, 81 Fed. R. Serv. 478, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5128, 2010 WL 334886
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedJanuary 22, 2010
DocketNo. C 08-1463 PJH
StatusPublished

This text of 682 F. Supp. 2d 1022 (Salinas v. Amteck of Kentucky, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Salinas v. Amteck of Kentucky, Inc., 682 F. Supp. 2d 1022, 81 Fed. R. Serv. 478, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5128, 2010 WL 334886 (N.D. Cal. 2010).

Opinion

ORDER

PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON, District Judge.

The motion of defendant Snorkel International, Inc. (“Snorkel”) for summary judgment came on for hearing before the court on November 18, 2009. Plaintiffs appeared by their counsel Wesley Todd Ball; Snorkel appeared by its counsel Daniel H. Maguire; defendants Amteck of Kentucky (“Amteck”) and The Haskell Company d/b/a The Haskell Company of Florida (“Haskell”) appeared by their counsel John P. Cotter; and intervenor Twin City Fire Insurance Company (“Twin City”), as agent for The Hartford Insurance Company, appeared by its counsel Kevin A. Norris. Having read the parties’ papers and carefully considered their arguments and the relevant legal authority, and good cause appearing, the court hereby GRANTS Snorkel’s motion.

BACKGROUND

On June 16, 2006, Jose-Martin Salinas, Reynaldo Salinas, Macedonio Salinas, and Joaquin Salinas, Sr. were working on a construction project at a winery warehouse owned by Fosters Wine Estate, in Napa, California. Haskell was the general con[1024]*1024tractor on the project, and had hired Amteck as the electrical subcontractor. Amteck in turn contracted with U.S. Trades, a labor contractor, to supply electrical workers for the project.

The four workers were attempting to pull a bundle of four power cables and one ground cable from the floor up to and through a 3-inch-diameter conduit that was suspended 22 feet above the floor. The cable pull started in an overhead junction box, and continued approximately 360 feet. The cable bundle then turned downward 90 degrees, terminating in a large, floor level distribution box.

Jose-Martin Salinas and Reynaldo Salinas were standing on a fully extended Model S1930 scissor lift, manufactured by Snorkel. The Model S1930 scissor lift has a 30-inch by 66-inch base, as well as a work platform that can be elevated to a height of 19 feet with a maximum weight capacity of 500 pounds. There are guard rails around the work platform that extend 39.5 inches above the work platform floor.

Jose-Martin and Reynaldo Salinas, standing on the platform of the scissor lift, elevated it to approximately 18 feet 8 inches. They were guiding the heavy gauge cable bundle over the scissor lift while a mechanical tugger pulled from the other end. Macedonio Salinas was operating the tugger at the (ground-level) hallway distribution box, while Reynaldo Salinas lubricated the cable bundle, and Jose-Martin Salinas guided the cable bundle into the conduit.

Because of the weight of the cable bundle, Reynaldo and Jose-Martin supported the cable bundle on the top, westerly rail of the work platform. Joaquin Salinas, Sr. was stationed on the ground at the cable reels. His job was to pull the cables from the reels to create slack before the five cables were pulled into the overhead conduit. He could also act as the hand signalman to indicate to Macedonio Salinas when to actuate and when to release the tugger pull rope tension. The crew made several pulls of the cable bundle when the scissor lift suddenly tipped over in an easterly direction. Jose-Martin and Reynaldo Salinas went over with the lift. Both suffered significant injuries, and the injury to Jose-Martin was fatal.

The present action consists of two consolidated actions that were originally filed in the District Court of Hidalgo County, Texas; and were subsequently removed to federal court and transferred to this district. The plaintiffs are Reynaldo Salinas; Isabel Salinas (wife of Reynaldo Salinas); Jessica Salinas (widow of Jose-Martin Salinas), individually and on behalf of the Estate of Jose-Martin Salinas; and Gerardo Salinas and Alejandra Salinas (parents of Jose-Martin Salinas), individually and on behalf of the Estate of Jose-Martin Salinas. Twin City is a lien claimant, and has filed a complaint in intervention. Defendants are Amteck, Haskell, and Snorkel. Snorkel now seeks summary judgment on the claims asserted against it.1

DISCUSSION

A. Legal Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate when there is no genuine issue as to material facts and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. Material facts are those that might affect the outcome of the case. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 [1025]*1025(1986). A dispute as to a material fact is “genuine” if there is sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Id.

A party seeking summary judgment bears the initial burden of informing the court of the basis for its motion, and of identifying those portions of the pleadings and discovery responses that demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Where the moving party will have the burden of proof at trial, it must affirmatively demonstrate that no reasonable trier of fact could find other than for the moving party. Southern Calif. Gas. Co. v. City of Santa Ana, 336 F.3d 885, 888 (9th Cir.2003).

On an issue where the nonmoving party will bear the burden of proof at trial, the moving party can prevail merely by pointing out to the district court that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324-25, 106 S.Ct. 2548. If the moving party meets its initial burden, the opposing party must then set forth specific facts showing that there is some genuine issue for trial in order to defeat the motion. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); Anderson, 477 U.S. at 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

B. Snorkel’s Motion

Plaintiffs assert claims of strict products liability, defective design, failure to warn, and negligence against Snorkel. Snorkel seeks summary judgment as to all claims, including the claim for punitive damages, or in the alternative, partial summary judgment. Plaintiffs do not oppose the motion as to the manufacturing or design defect claims, including claims of negligence in manufacturing or design,2 and do not oppose the motion as to the claim for punitive damages. Accordingly, the motion is GRANTED as to those causes of action, and as to the claim for punitive damages.

With regard to the claim of failure to warn, the only remaining claim alleged by plaintiffs is that Snorkel is liable for failure to warn regarding tip-overs and load limitations. Snorkel asserts that this theory fails, because it repeatedly warned users that the scissor lift had vertical and horizontal load and side pull limits, and that tip-overs could be life-threatening.

Generally speaking, manufacturers have a duty to warn consumers about the hazards inherent in their products. Johnson v. American Standard, Inc., 43 Cal.4th 56, 64, 74 Cal.Rptr.3d 108, 179 P.3d 905 (2008); Anderson v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 53 Cal.3d 987, 1003, 281 Cal.Rptr.

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Bluebook (online)
682 F. Supp. 2d 1022, 81 Fed. R. Serv. 478, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5128, 2010 WL 334886, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/salinas-v-amteck-of-kentucky-inc-cand-2010.