Source: http://texas-opinions.com/08-Onwes-Minor-Inc-v-Ansell-Healthcare-Products-Inc-Dissent-by-Justice-ONeill.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 18:20:16+00:00

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Justice O’Neill, joined by Justice Medina, Justice Johnson, and Justice Willett, dissenting.
an innocent seller against loss arising out of a products liability action, regardless of how the action is concluded.
proof but by the plaintiff’s pleadings, Gen. Motors Corp. v. Hudiburg Chevrolet, Inc., 199 S.W.3d 249, 252 (Tex.
appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which certified the question to us.
Analyzed, 31 Hous. L. Rev. 921, 930 (1994).
manufacturer was found to be liable. See Humana Hosp. Corp. v. Am. Med. Sys., Inc., 785 S.W.2d 144, 145 (Tex.
1990). Indemnification for other litigation expenses was unavailable altogether. See Aviation Office of Am., Inc. v.
414, 432 (Tex. 1984), and the seller must have been in the chain of distribution, id.
indemnification, the Legislature “gave preference to sellers with no independent liability.” Id. at 869.
S.W.2d at 866. If the statute’s language is unambiguous, its plain meaning will prevail. McIntyre v. Ramirez, 109 S.
negligently modifying or altering the product, for which the seller is independently liable.
fees, and any reasonable damages.
product in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions shall be considered a seller.
otherwise has actual notice of the action.
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.002.
does not exist in the text.
chose to award litigation expenses in the case of indemnity, but not for contribution.
statutory indemnity obligation. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.001(3), (4).
otherwise.” Thus, the state of the common law sheds little light on what the Legislature intended when it . . .
required manufacturers to indemnify sellers in section 82.002(a).
unnecessary under the statute.” Burden, 332 F. Supp. 2d at 1028; see also Ansell Healthcare Prods., Inc. v.
Owens & Minor, Inc., 189 S.W.3d 889, 895 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2006, pet. filed).
violate the principal we established in Hudiburg. Id.
would no longer be a live claim against them.
seller is found to be independently liable.
over proprietary information to a competitor in the course of the defense.
independently attach to the sellers.
Burden, 332 F. Supp. 2d at 1028.
Legislature has elected to favor the innocent distributor over the manufacturers of allegedly defective products.
to assume a full defense of the distributor or indemnify it from losses incurred.

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