Case Title: Ritchie v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.

Citation: 621 So. 2d 288

Docket Number: 1920242

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 1993-05-14T00:00:00Z

Document:
621 So. 2d 288 (1993)
Larry Paul RITCHIE
v.
BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE, INC.
1920242.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
May 14, 1993.
Robert B. Roden of Roden & Hayes, P.C., Birmingham, for appellant.
Brittin T. Coleman and Scott M. Phelps of Bradley, Arant, Rose & White, Birmingham, for appellee.
ADAMS, Justice.
Larry Paul Ritchie was injured in June 1990, when, while mounting a truck tire *289 and rim onto the hub of a truck brought into a place of business operated by Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. ("Firestone"). The rim exploded. Ritchie was, at that time, an employee of Firestone; he regularly mounted tires and rims in the course of his employment and when the rim exploded he was working in the course of his employment and was using the rim for its intended purpose. Following his injury, Ritchie filed for workers' compensation benefits and he received them for approximately 44 weeks. In addition, Firestone paid his medical expenses, and he received a $35,000 lump sum payment.
Thereafter, Ritchie filed this products liability action against Firestone, which had manufactured part of the rim. Ritchie alleged that the rim was defective and that the defect in the rim had caused his injury. Firestone moved for a summary judgment, contending that Ritchie had exhausted his remedy under the Workers' Compensation Act, that that remedy was exclusive, and that Firestone was therefore entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. The trial court agreed and entered a summary judgment in favor of Firestone.
Ritchie appeals, urging us to apply the "dual capacity" doctrine to this set of facts, thereby allowing Ritchie to pursue his products liability claim. In support of his argument, Ritchie contends that the portion of the rim manufactured by Firestone was not manufactured solely for the use of Firestone employees, but, instead, was manufactured for use by the general public. Thus, Ritchie contends, Firestone had an obligation separate and apart from its obligation to him as an employee and, he argues, the breach of that obligation should allow him to pursue his present action. We disagree.
In Mapson v. Montgomery White Trucks, Inc., 357 So. 2d 971 (Ala.1978), this Court stated:
Id. at 972-73.
This Court further entertained the possible adoption of the "dual capacity" doctrine in Bowen v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 516 So. 2d 570 (Ala.1987), wherein we stated:
Id. at 571-72.
Ritchie was injured while performing the task he was employed to perform. His relationship with Firestone was not altered simply because the rim he alleges was defective was manufactured for sale to the public. Simply stated, the accident was a work-related injury and Firestone's relationship to Ritchie was never anything more than that of employer/employee. For these reasons, the judgment of the trial court is hereby affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
HORNSBY, C.J., and ALMON, STEAGALL and INGRAM, JJ., concur.