Title: Wilbanks v. United Refractories, Inc.
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 1111164
State: Alabama
Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court
Date: November 16, 2012

Rel: 
11/16/2012 
Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o 
n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama 
A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r 
Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 
2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made 
b e f o r e t h e 
o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2012-2013 
1111164 
James Stanley Wilbanks 
v. 
United Refractories, 
Inc. 
Appeal from Jefferson C i r c u i t Court 
(CV-10-900403) 
WOODALL, J u s t i c e . 
James S t a n l e y W i l b a n k s a p p e a l s 
from a summary judgment 
f o r U n i t e d R e f r a c t o r i e s , I n c . ( " U n i t e d " ) , a company s u p p l y i n g 
equipment used i n t h e r e p a i r o f coke-oven 
b a t t e r i e s , i n 
W i l b a n k s ' s a c t i o n a g a i n s t U n i t e d s e e k i n g damages f o r p e r s o n a l 
1111164 
i n j u r i e s he s u s t a i n e d from an e x p l o s i o n i n v o l v i n g a c e r a m i c 
w e l d i n g machine ("the 
w e l d e r " ) s u p p l i e d t o 
W i l b a n k s ' s employer 
by U n i t e d . 
We a f f i r m . 
I . F a c t u a l and P r o c e d u r a l Background 
The 
r e l e v a n t e v i d e n c e v i e w e d , as i t must be, i n a l i g h t 
most f a v o r a b l e t o W i l b a n k s , shows t h e f o l l o w i n g . 
W i l b a n k s was 
i n j u r e d on F e b r u a r y 8, 2008, w h i l e w o r k i n g as an employee o f 
Drummond Company, I n c . 
("Drummond"), a t Drummond's coke p l a n t 
i n 
T a r r a n t . 
The w e l d e r he was w o r k i n g w i t h when he was 
i n j u r e d was m a n u f a c t u r e d and owned by C o a l P r o d u c t s 
L i m i t e d 
("CPL"). 
Drummond had p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e w e l d e r by means o f a 
l i c e n s e between CPL and U n i t e d , t h r o u g h w h i c h U n i t e d s u p p l i e s 
such w e l d e r s t o Drummond and s i m i l a r companies. 
Under t h e 
l i c e n s e , U n i t e d agreed, among o t h e r t h i n g s , t o " m a i n t a i n t h e 
[ w e l d e r s ] i n good w o r k i n g 
o r d e r . " 
A t t h e time o f t h e a c c i d e n t made t h e b a s i s o f 
t h i s 
a c t i o n , a coworker o f W i l b a n k s ' s was u s i n g t h e w e l d e r t o 
r e p a i r a coke oven. The w e l d e r i n c o r p o r a t e s a s t a i n l e s s - s t e e l 
l a n c e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 11 f e e t l o n g . 
A t one end o f t h e l a n c e i s 
a n o z z l e , w h i c h t h e o p e r a t o r b r i n g s i n t o c l o s e c o n t a c t 
w i t h 
the s u r f a c e t o be r e p a i r e d . 
The o t h e r end o f t h e l a n c e i s 
2 
1111164 
a t t a c h e d t o a " m i x i n g chamber," which mixes and i n t r o d u c e s 
i n t o t h e l a n c e (1) oxygen and (2) "ceramic powder" pushed by 
compressed a i r . Oxygen i s 
f e d 
i n t o t h e 
m i x i n g chamber t h r o u g h 
an oxygen v a l v e ("the v a l v e " ) , which i s a t t a c h e d t o a hose, 
w h i c h , i n t u r n , i s a t t a c h e d t o a l a r g e oxygen tank. 
The 
powder i s 
i n t r o d u c e d i n t o t h e 
m i x i n g chamber by compressed a i r 
t h r o u g h a powder hose, w h i c h i s a t t a c h e d a t i t s o t h e r end 
t o 
a machine t h a t s e r v e s as t h e powder-supply s o u r c e . 
I g n i t i o n 
o c c u r s a t t h e r e p a i r p o i n t when t h e m i x t u r e o f powder and 
oxygen e x i t t h e n o z z l e . 
On t h e day o f t h e a c c i d e n t , W i l b a n k s was a member o f a 
t h r e e - p e r s o n w e l d i n g team engaged i n 
t h e p r o c e s s o f r e p a i r i n g 
a coke oven. 
One o f t h e team members, who was s t a n d i n g on a 
s c a f f o l d as he h e l d t h e l a n c e , handed t h e l a n c e t o W i l b a n k s , 
who was a t ground 
l e v e l , 
w i t h t h e remark t h a t 
t h e r e was 
i n s u f f i c i e n t powder coming t h r o u g h t h e l a n c e . As he had been 
t r a i n e d t o do, W i l b a n k s then u n d e r t o o k t o examine t h e l a n c e 
and 
a t t a c h e d 
p a r a p h e r n a l i a t o d e t e r m i n e t h e s o u r c e o f t h e 
a p p a r e n t 
b l o c k a g e . 
H a v i n g 
f i r s t o b s e r v e d 
t h a t t h e v a l v e was t u r n e d i n 
t h e 
" o f f " p o s i t i o n , W i l b a n k s c o o l e d down t h e l a n c e by s p r a y i n g 
i t 
3 
1111164 
w i t h w a t e r . 
He then removed the l a n c e from the m i x i n g chamber 
and examined the l a n c e and d e t e r m i n e d t h a t i t was 
c l e a r of 
o b s t r u c t i o n . 
However, as he a t t e m p t e d t o remove the powder 
hose from the m i x i n g chamber, an e x p l o s i o n o c c u r r e d , 
c a u s i n g 
the l o s s of h i s l e f t hand and burns t o o t h e r p o r t i o n s of h i s 
body. 
On F e b r u a r y 5, 2010, W i l b a n k s sued U n i t e d . 
The 
c o m p l a i n t 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
W i l b a n k s 
was 
i n j u r e d as 
the 
r e s u l t 
of 
the 
" f a i l [ u r e ] " 
of "the 
s u b j e c t equipment" and 
t h a t U n i t e d 
had 
" n e g l i g e n t l y and/or w a n t o n l y f a i l [ e d ] t o p r o p e r l y i n s p e c t and 
m a i n t a i n 
the 
s u b j e c t 
equipment 
and 
i t s component 
p a r t s . " 
U n i t e d moved f o r a summary judgment, c o n t e n d i n g , among o t h e r 
t h i n g s , t h a t t h e r e was 
no genuine i s s u e as t o c a u s a t i o n 
and 
t h a t W i l b a n k s had f a i l e d t o c r e a t e such an i s s u e by p r e s e n t i n g 
s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e of any 
c a u s a l r e l a t i o n s h i p between h i s 
i n j u r i e s and the a l l e g e d n e g l i g e n c e 
or wantonness of U n i t e d . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t g r a n t e d 
the m o t i o n , 
c i t i n g 
the absence 
of 
e v i d e n c e of c a u s a t i o n , and W i l b a n k s a p p e a l e d . 
The 
d i s p o s i t i v e 
i s s u e 
on 
a p p e a l 
i s whether W i l b a n k s p r e s e n t e d 
e v i d e n c e 
of 
c a u s a t i o n 
s u f f i c i e n t t o w i t h s t a n d 
U n i t e d ' s 
summary-judgment 
m o t i o n . 
4 
1111164 
I I . 
D i s c u s s i o n 
"'Summary judgment 
i s 
a p p r o p r i a t e 
o n l y when 
" t h e r e i s no genuine i s s u e as t o any m a t e r i a l 
f a c t 
a
n
d 
the moving p a r t y i s e n t i t l e d t o a judgment 
as a m a t t e r of law."' 
P e r r y v. C i t y of Birmingham^ 
906 
So. 
2d 
174, 
175 
( A l a . 2005) 
( q u o t i n g A l a . 
R. 
C i v . P. 5 6 ( c ) ( 3 ) , and 
c i t i n g Dobbs v. S h e l b y County  
Econ. 
& Indus. 
Dev. 
A u t h . , 
749 
So. 
2d 
425 
( A l a . 
1 9 9 9 ) ) . 
'The 
c o u r t must a c c e p t 
the t e n d e n c i e s 
of 
the e v i d e n c e most f a v o r a b l e t o the nonmoving p a r t y 
and must r e s o l v e a l l r e a s o n a b l e 
f a c t u a l doubts i n 
f a v o r 
of 
the 
nonmoving p a r t y 
In 
r e v i e w i n g 
a 
summary 
judgment, 
an 
a p p e l l a t e 
c o u r t , 
de 
novo^ 
a p p l i e s 
the 
same 
s t a n d a r d 
as 
the 
t r i a l 
c o u r t . ' 
P e r r y , 906 So. 2d a t 
175." 
C l a y K i l g o r e C o n s t r . , I n c . v. B u c h a l t e r / G r a n t , L.L.C., 949 
So. 
2d 893, 
896 
( A l a . 2006). 
"The 
q u e s t i o n 
of p r o x i m a t e c a u s a t i o n 
i s o r d i n a r i l y 
one 
f o r 
the 
j u r y , 
i f r e a s o n a b l e 
i n f e r e n c e s 
from 
the 
e v i d e n c e 
s u p p o r t 
the p l a i n t i f f ' s t h e o r y . " 
Garner v. C o v i n g t o n Cnty., 
624 So. 2d 1346, 
1349 
( A l a . 1993) . However, the q u e s t i o n 
"may 
be d e c i d e d by a summary judgment i f ' " t h e r e i s a t o t a l l a c k of 
e v i d e n c e from which the 
f a c t - f i n d e r 
may 
r e a s o n a b l y 
i n f e r 
a 
d i r e c t c a u s a l r e l a t i o n between the c u l p a b l e conduct and 
the 
r e s u l t i n g i n j u r y . " ' " 
Gooden v. C i t y of T a l l a d e g a , 966 So. 
2d 
232, 
240 
( A l a . 2007) ( q u o t i n g Green v. Alabama Power Co., 
597 
So. 
2d 
1325, 
1328 
( A l a . 1992), q u o t i n g 
i n t u r n D a v i s o n 
v. 
 
M o b i l e I n f i r m a r y , 456 So. 2d 14, 24 
( A l a . 1 9 8 4 ) ) . 
5 
1111164 
"'When the movant makes a p r i m a f a c i e showing t h a t t h e r e 
i s no genuine i s s u e of m a t e r i a l f a c t , the burden s h i f t s t o the 
nonmovant t o p r e s e n t s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e c r e a t i n g such an 
i s s u e . ' " 
P i t t m a n v. U n i t e d T o l l Sys., LLC, 882 So. 2d 842, 
844 
( A l a . 2003) 
( q u o t i n g Hobson v. American C a s t I r o n P i p e 
Co., 
690 
So. 
2d 
341, 
344 
( A l a . 1 9 9 7 ) ) . 
" ' " S u b s t a n t i a l 
e v i d e n c e " i s " e v i d e n c e o f such w e i g h t and q u a l i t y t h a t 
f a i r -
minded p e r s o n s 
i n the e x e r c i s e 
o f 
i m p a r t i a l 
judgment 
can 
r e a s o n a b l y 
i n f e r 
the 
e x i s t e n c e 
of the 
f a c t 
sought 
t o 
be 
p r o v e d . " ' " 
Long v. Wade, 980 So. 2d 378, 383 
( A l a . 2007) 
( q u o t i n g Kmart Corp. v. B a s s e t t , 769 So. 2d 282, 284 ( A l a . 
2000), q u o t i n g i n t u r n West v. Founders L i f e A s s u r a n c e Co. of  
F l o r i d a , 
547 
So. 
2d 
870, 
871 
( A l a . 1 9 8 9 ) ) . 
However, 
" ' " [ e ] v i d e n c e 
s u p p o r t i n g n o t h i n g more 
than 
s p e c u l a t i o n , 
c o n j e c t u r e , 
or 
a 
guess 
does 
not 
r i s e 
t o 
the 
l e v e l 
o f 
s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e . " ' " 
S t a t e Farm F i r e & Cas. Co. v. Shady  
Grove 
B a p t i s t 
C h u r c h , 
838 
So. 
2d 
1039, 
1041 
( A l a . 2002) 
( q u o t i n g M c G i n n i s v. J i m W a l t e r Homes, I n c . , 800 So. 2d 140, 
145 ( A l a . 2001), q u o t i n g i n t u r n B r u s h w i t z v. E z e l l , 757 So. 
2d 423, 432 
( A l a . 2 0 0 0 ) ) . 
6 
1111164 
W i l b a n k s ' s t h e o r y o f t h e cause o f t h e a c c i d e n t c e n t e r s on 
the v a l v e . 
He p o s i t s t h a t t h e e x p l o s i o n o c c u r r e d as a r e s u l t 
of an oxygen l e a k a t t h e v a l v e , w h i c h a l l o w e d oxygen t o seep 
i n t o t h e m i x i n g chamber as he was a t t e m p t i n g t o remove t h e 
powder hose from t h e chamber. More s p e c i f i c a l l y , he p r o p o s e s 
t h a t s t a t i c e l e c t r i c i t y combined w i t h l e a k i n g oxygen t o c r e a t e 
the e x p l o s i o n . 
A c c o r d i n g t o W i l b a n k s ' s t h e o r y , t h e v a l v e was 
l e a k i n g , e i t h e r (1) because t h e v a l v e had become e x c e s s i v e l y 
worn t h r o u g h use, o r (2) 
because some " d e b r i s " had e n t e r e d t h e 
v a l v e t h r o u g h t h e oxygen s u p p l y , p r e v e n t i n g complete c l o s u r e 
of t h e 
v a l v e . 
A l t h o u g h he a t t r i b u t e s b o t h o f t h e s e c o n d i t i o n s 
t o U n i t e d ' s a l l e g e d " f a i l u r e t o p r o p e r l y i n s p e c t and m a i n t a i n " 
the v a l v e , W i l b a n k s t e s t i f i e d by d e p o s i t i o n t h a t he " c o u l d n ' t  
even b e g i n t o s p e c u l a t e what caused [the 
a c c i d e n t ] . " 
In 
t h a t 
c o n n e c t i o n , 
W i l b a n k s 
p r e s e n t e d 
d e p o s i t i o n 
t e s t i m o n y 
from one o f U n i t e d ' s 
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s , who o p i n e d 
t h a t , under t h e l i c e n s e p u r s u a n t t o which U n i t e d s u p p l i e d t h e 
w e l d e r t o Drummond, 
U n i t e d had a d u t y t o examine t h e w e l d e r 
and 
i t s 
component 
p a r t s 
a t Drummond's 
coke 
p l a n t , a t a 
minimum, a t l e s s 
than 
a n n u a l 
i n t e r v a l s and perhaps 
even 
q u a r t e r l y under c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s . 
W i l b a n k s a l s o p r o d u c e d 
7 
1111164 
some e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g t h a t U n i t e d had never v i s i t e d 
the 
coke p l a n t t o examine the 
w e l d e r . 
However, W i l b a n k s t e s t i f i e d t h a t the v a l v e was 
r o u t i n e l y 
 
changed and 
r e p l a c e d 
w i t h 
a new 
oxygen v a l v e 
by Drummond  
p e r s o n n e l 
and 
c o u l d have been r e p l a c e d as o f t e n as w e e k l y . 
Moreover, the r e p l a c e m e n t s o c c u r r e d , he t e s t i f i e d , not because 
of m a l f u n c t i o n s , 
such as 
those 
t h a t 
a l l e g e d l y caused 
t h i s 
a c c i d e n t , but because of l o o s e or m i s s i n g h a n d l e s . 
There 
was 
no e v i d e n c e as t o how 
l o n g the s u b j e c t v a l v e had been i n p l a c e 
a t the time of the a c c i d e n t . 
A l s o , t h e r e was 
no e v i d e n c e as 
t o how 
l o n g 
a v a l v e would 
t y p i c a l l y 
l a s t 
b e f o r e 
becoming 
e x c e s s i v e l y worn as a l l e g e d or b e f o r e becoming c l o g g e d 
w i t h 
d e b r i s . 
Thus, 
t h e r e 
was 
no 
e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g 
t h a t 
an 
i n s p e c t i o n 
of the 
v a l v e by 
U n i t e d w i t h i n the 
t h r e e months 
p r e c e d i n g 
the 
a c c i d e n t would have p r e v e n t e d 
the 
e x p l o s i o n . 
The e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d by W i l b a n k s r a i s e d , t h e r e f o r e , " n o t h i n g 
more than s p e c u l a t i o n , c o n j e c t u r e , or a guess" and 
f e l l 
s h o r t 
of "the 
l e v e l of s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e " 
needed t o overcome a 
p r o p e r l y s u p p o r t e d summary-judgment m o t i o n . 
S t a t e Farm F i r e  
& Cas. Co., 
838 
So. 2d a t 
1041. 
8 
1111164 
I I I . C o n c l u s i o n 
In summary, because W i l b a n k s 
f a i l e d t o produce 
e v i d e n c e 
of 
any 
c a u s a l 
r e l a t i o n s h i p 
between 
h i s 
i n j u r i e s and 
any 
a l l e g e d a c t s or o m i s s i o n s of U n i t e d , U n i t e d ' s summary-judgment 
motion was due t o be g r a n t e d . 
The judgment e n t e r e d f o r U n i t e d 
i s , t h e r e f o r e , a f f i r m e d . 
AFFIRMED. 
Malone, C.J., and B o l i n , Murdock, and Main, J J . , concur. 
9