172 P.3d 1021 (2007) EXOTICS HAWAII-KONA, INC,; Sharon Murakami, as Special Representative for the Estate of Chiaki Kato; Harvy Tomono; Andraea Partners; Arvak Agronomics, Inc.; C & L Orchids and Island Agribusiness, Ltd.; Ernest Carlbom and Donna Carlbom; Cymbidium Partners; Floral Resources/Hawaii, Inc.; Flowers, Inc.; Glenwood Cymbidium Partners; Green Point Nurseries, Inc.; Daniel Hata d/b/a Hata Farm; Hawaiian Anthuriums, Ltd.; Hawaiian Greenhouses, Inc.; Hawaiian Heart, Inc.; Albert Isa d/b/a Albert Isa Nursery; Kaimu Nursery, Inc.; Kaohe Nursery; Margaret Kincaid and Peter Kincaid d/b/a Anuenue Farms; Kona Orchids, Inc.; Kupulau Anthurium Partners; Alan Kuwahara d/b/a Puna Floriculture; James Kuwahara *1022 d/b/a James S. Kuwahara Farm; Yoso Kuwahara, Inc.; Henry Liljedahl; Malaai Partners; James McCully; Mitsuo Miyatake d/b/a Miyatake Farms; Curtis Nakaoka d/b/a Kona Grown Nurseries; George J. Nakashima d/b/a Nakashima Farm; Jeffrey Newman d/b/a Newman's Nurseries; Mark K. Nozaki d/b/a Nozaki Farms; Big Rock Anthuriums, Inc.; Patrick Oka d/b/a Oka Nursery; Carl Okamoto d/b/a Carl Okamoto & Lehua Tropical Flowers; Clyde Okamoto d/b/a Ho`Onanea Farms; Wade Okamoto d/b/a Paradise Anthuriums; Ronald Okazaki and Dora Okazaki d/b/a Lehua Anthurium Nursery; Neal Okimoto d/b/a Pacific Paradise Orchids; Orchid Partners; Pacific Nurseries, Inc.; Polynesian Orchids & Anthuriums, Inc.; Puna Flowers & Foliage, Inc.; Sunshine Farms; George Shiroma d/b/a G. Shiroma Farms; Masato Shiroma d/b/a Mae's Nursery; Masao Sunada; Samuel H. Taka & Sylvia A. Taka d/b/a S. Taka; Yoshio Takemoto, Midori Takemoto, Cary Takemoto, Morris Takemoto and Norman Takemoto d/b/a Takemoto Farm; Fetulima Tamasese d/b/a Pacific Kona Orchids; Harold S. Tanouye & Sons, Inc.; Henry Terada and Loraine Y. Terada d/b/a H & L Terada Farm; Vantanage Partners; Uniwai I Limited Partners; Uniwai II Limited Partners; Waiakea Partners; Dwight E. Walker, Jr. and Bernice K. Walker d/b/a Puna Ohana Flowers; Mark Willman d/b/a Hawaii Orchids; Exotics Hawaii, Ltd., Plaintiffs-Appellants/Cross-Appellees
v.
E.I. Du PONT DE NEMOURS & COMPANY; Allen Teshima; and Reginald Hasegawa, Defendants-Appellees/Cross-Appellants. No. 27489. Supreme Court of Hawai`i.
November 21, 2007. *1026 Melvin Y. Agena, on the briefs, Honolulu, for plaintiffs-appellants/cross-appellees.
Warren Price III, Kenneth T. Okamoto, Robert A. Marks, and Susan C. Wilson (of Price Okamoto Himeno & Lum), on the briefs, for defendant-appellee/cross-appellant, E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company.
MOON, C.J., LEVINSON, NAKAYAMA, JJ., and Circuit Judge LEE, In Place of DUFFY, J., Recused; ACOBA, J., Dissenting.
Opinion of the Court by MOON, C.J.
The instant action arises from product liability cases initiated by the plaintiffs-appellants/cross-appellees Albert Isa dba Albert Isa Nursery (Isa), Samuel H. Taka and Sylvia A. Taka dba S. Taka (the Takas), Mark Willman dba Hawai`i Orchids (Willman), and James McCully [hereinafter, collectively, the plaintiffs] in 1992 and 1993 against, inter alia, the defendant-appellee/cross-appellant E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont), alleging that contaminated Benlate, an agricultural fungicide manufactured by DuPont, had killed or damaged their plants and nurseries.[1] Between 1994 and 1995, the plaintiffs settled their product liability cases. In 2000, the plaintiffs commenced the instant action against, inter alia, DuPont, alleging that only after settling their claims did they discover that DuPont had improperly