Opinion ID: 1894152
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Liability of Westinghouse

Text: Hannah also argues that the trial court erred in entering a summary judgment for Westinghouse, the company that manufactured the electrical controls for the CAL, because, she contends, there was substantial evidence creating a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Westinghouse negligently designed the control logic of the CAL and negligently manufactured the electrical controls that initiated operation of the machines on the CAL. In support of her argument, Hannah submitted the deposition testimony of two experts, Dr. Ryan, the mechanical engineer who also testified against GB & B, and Dr. David Conner, an electrical engineer; both experts agreed that Westinghouse failed to include appropriate safety devices in the design and installation of the electrical controls for the CAL. Dr. Ryan testified in deposition that, although Reynolds had designed the layout of the buttons on the control panel, Westinghouse should have taken affirmative steps to suggest a different design for the panel. Dr. Ryan stated that Westinghouse should have suggested a different placement of the buttons on the control panel or different proximity of the buttons to one another or a color-coding system for the buttons. According to Dr. Ryan, Westinghouse constructed the control panel in a mirror image designeach button on the panel looked the same. Dr. Ryan testified that the traverse in button, the button that started the belt wrapper, should have been entirely different from the other buttons, i.e., it should have been either recessed or a twist-type button, in order that it could be easily distinguished from the other buttons on the control panel. Dr. Ryan also stated that Westinghouse should have included an interlock feature by which power to the belt wrapper could be turned off, while the remaining machines on the CAL continued running. In addition, Dr. Ryan stated that Westinghouse should have included an audible warning in its control circuitry to warn employees in the area when the belt wrapper was moving forward. Dr. Conner, Hannah's electrical engineering expert, agreed that Westinghouse had failed to include appropriate safety devices in the electrical control system. According to Dr. Conner, Reynolds was not an active participant in the design decisions. Dr. Conner testified that, in terms of the design activity, once the electrical designer receives the specifications, the customer relies upon the electrical designer to decide what the logic circuitry will look like, what components will be placed in the logic circuit, and how these actions of the circuitry will be represented. Dr. Conner testified: [I]n a design environment when a system is being designed, the designer should not only take a look at the operation of the electrical aspects of the system, but also involve in the design the various human interactions with the system and ensure that the human interactions are such that the individuals that are coming involved with the system cannot be injured in any way. According to Dr. Conner, Westinghouse did not include any interventions in the electrical system to protect individuals who would be working in the area between the belt wrapper and the recoiler. Dr. Conner stated that Westinghouse should have included an optical device that could sense the presence of a body in the area between the belt wrapper and recoiler and activate a warning light, which would then deactivate the power. Dr. Conner also stated that Westinghouse could have included a mechanical device that would sense the pressure or weight of an individual and cause a warning signal to occur, leading to electrical lockout. Westinghouse argues, although not in the following sequence: 1) that it cannot be held liable for any defects in the belt wrapper because it was not the manufacturer of the belt wrapper; 2) that it cannot be held liable under the AEMLD for its drawing of the control logic or for supplying the control panel because, it argues, neither are products under the AEMLD; 3) that it cannot be held liable for alleged defects in the control logic and the control panels because both underwent substantial modification by Reynolds following their installation by Westinghouse; 4) that Westinghouse owed no duty to Hannah to inspect the belt wrapper for safety or to warn of the dangers posed by the belt wrapper; and 5) that Hannah failed to demonstrate the availability of a feasible alternative design. [4]
Westinghouse argues that it cannot be held liable for the injuries Hannah sustained because it did not manufacture the belt wrapper or any component parts of the belt wrapper. Westinghouse's argument fails, however, because Hannah has not alleged that Westinghouse negligently manufactured the belt wrapper; she argues that Westinghouse negligently manufactured the electrical controls, which directly controlled the movement of the belt wrapper. It is undisputed that the electrical controls provided by Westinghouse initiated the movement of, and controlled the retraction of, the belt wrapper. According to Hannah's expert, Dr. Ryan, the electrical controls manufactured by Westinghouse told the belt wrapper when to go and how to do it. Hannah's claims are not based upon the theory that the belt wrapper itself was defective, but rather that the belt wrapper could have been safeguarded by including certain safety features in the electrical controls that operated the belt wrapper.
Westinghouse also contends that it cannot be held liable under the AEMLD for its drawing of the control logic or supplying the control panels because, it argues, neither are products under the AEMLD. Relying upon Oxford Lumber Co. v. Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co., 472 So.2d 973 (Ala.1985), Westinghouse argues that its work of drawing the control logic for the belt wrapper can be viewed only as a service and is not proper for consideration under the AEMLD. In Oxford Lumber Co., the plaintiffs sought recovery under the AEMLD for a defective insurance contract. Unlike Westinghouse, however, the defendant in Oxford Lumber Co. did not manufacture any item of which the plaintiff could physically make use. In this case Westinghouse designed the control system, the regulating system, and the tension and speed control of the CAL. In addition, Westinghouse supplied motors, the control for the motors, desks, operators stations, control cabinets, the equipment to control the speed and tension of the process line, the logic solenoid, and the logic relays, all in accordance with the design of the electrical circuitry. The combination of the products supplied by Westinghouse made up the electrical controls of the CAL; thus, Westinghouse provided more than simply a service to Reynolds. Westinghouse also argues that it cannot be sued under the AEMLD because the control logic and control panels can be viewed only as component parts of the CAL, and under Alabama law, Westinghouse cannot be held liable for defects unrelated to the component parts it supplied. See Sanders v. Ingram Equip., Inc., 531 So.2d 879, 880 (Ala.1988). This argument is unpersuasive, however, because Hannah does not claim that Westinghouse manufactured component parts of a defective belt wrapper; Hannah contends that the electrical controls supplied by Westinghouse are themselves defective because, she argues, possible safety devices within the controls were omitted. Sanders is inapplicable when the plaintiff seeks to recover based upon the theory that the product supplied by the defendant is itself defective.
An essential element of an AEMLD claim is proof that the product reached the consumer without substantial change in the condition in which it was sold. Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Harris, 630 So.2d 1018, 1027 (Ala.1993); see also Clarke Indus., Inc. v. Home Indem. Co., 591 So.2d 458, 462 (Ala.1991). However, the mere fact that a product has been altered or modified does not necessarily relieve the manufacturer or seller of liability. Sears, Roebuck & Co., supra; see also Johnson v. Niagara Machine & Tool Works, 555 So.2d 88, 91 (Ala.1989). A manufacturer or seller remains liable if the alteration or modification did not in fact cause the injury, or if the alteration or modification was reasonably foreseeable to the manufacturer or seller. Sears, Roebuck & Co., supra; see also Industrial Chem. & Fiberglass Corp. v. Hartford Accident & Indem. Co., 475 So.2d 472, 476 (Ala.1985), and Clarke Indus., 591 So.2d at 462. The record indicates that Westinghouse designed the control system, the regulating system, and the tension and speed control of the CAL according to specifications supplied by Reynolds. In addition, Westinghouse supplied the motors, the control for the motors, desks, operator stations, control cabinets, and the equipment to control the speed and tension of the CAL. Since Westinghouse originally designed the electrical controls, Reynolds has altered the control system in several respects. First, Reynolds removed switches from the control panel. Reynolds disconnected the lift-limit switch from the control panel, which removed one of the several conditions that originally had to be met before the traverse in button would move the belt wrapper. Reynolds also removed a WRCEN switch, which was used to center the coil. Second, Reynolds eliminated at least one of the operator stations designed by Westinghouse, combining functions that under Westinghouse's design would have been performed at different stations. Third, Reynolds added buttons to the control panel. As originally designed, the control panel did not include the # 4 bridle button, the button Roy Gieske intended to press when he inadvertently pressed another button that started the belt wrapper. Reynolds also added a delivery normal stop inspection circuit, which allowed workers to stop the coil in the middle of a run. Reynolds's alteration to the number of operator stations and to the control panel of the CAL constitutes a substantial alteration of the electrical control system. Although Reynolds modified the electrical control system, Westinghouse's expert, John Montoro, admitted in his deposition that most of those modifications played no role in causing and did not contribute to the accident that killed Jerry Hannah. According to Montoro, Reynold's disconnection of the lift-limit switch, the addition of a delivery normal stop inspection circuit, and the removal of one operator station did not cause the accident that killed Jerry Hannah. According to Montoro, the only change that may have contributed to Jerry Hannah's death was the addition of the # 4 bridle button. Montoro testified that the addition of this button may have confused Gieske, causing him to press the wrong button. Hannah argues that even if the changes to the control panel constitute a substantial alteration of the electrical controls originally designed by Westinghouse, Westinghouse is still liable because, she argues, the alterations were reasonably foreseeable. In support of her argument, Hannah relies upon the deposition testimony of John Montoro. In that deposition Montoro stated that Reynolds had instructed Westinghouse to leave additional space on the control panel. Montoro admitted in his deposition that Reynolds's request for extra space on the control panel presumed that Reynolds contemplated adding more buttons on the control panel. In addition, Montoro stated that leaving extra space on a control panel was a common thing. According to Montoro, [companies] always want space just in case they change their mind. Montoro's testimony shows that a genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether the alteration of the control panel, by the addition of the # 4 bridle button, the only modification that might have contributed to Hannah's death, was reasonably foreseeable. See Hicks v. Commercial Union Ins. Co., 652 So.2d 211, 218 (Ala.1994).
Westinghouse also contends that it owed no duty to Hannah to provide guarding for the belt wrapper. Relying upon R.L. Reid, Inc. v. Plant, 350 So.2d 1022 (Ala.1977), and Mueller Co. v. Trambeam Corp., 693 So.2d 1380 (Ala.Civ.App. 1997), Westinghouse contends that its work was unrelated to the belt wrapper. Westinghouse argues that, because it was not involved with any mechanical aspects of the belt wrapper, it owed no duty to inspect the belt wrapper and that it cannot be held liable for any alleged negligence relating to the belt wrapper. The standard of duty this Court applied to GB & B, as stated earlier, was set forth in McFadden: `An independent contractor owes no duty to third persons to judge the plans, specifications or instructions which he has merely contracted to follow. If the contractor carefully carries out the specifications provided him, he is justified in relying upon the adequacy of the specifications unless they are so obviously dangerous that no competent contractor would follow them.' 529 So.2d at 200, quoting Hunt v. Blasius, 74 Ill.2d at 209, 384 N.E.2d at 371, 23 Ill.Dec. at 577. The standard set forth in McFadden, however, is inapplicable to Westinghouse because Westinghouse's role in the design and construction of the electrical control system was more than that of a contractor. Westinghouse did not simply follow plans and specifications to design the electrical control system. Reynolds provided Westinghouse with a layout of the electrical control system it wanted and specified the types of devices to include in the operator stations. Westinghouse actually designed the schematic for the sequence of operations of the CAL. According to Hannah's electrical engineering expert, Reynolds relied upon Westinghouse to design the logic circuitry and to decide what components would be placed in the logic circuitry and how the actions performed by the circuitry would be represented. The McFadden test is therefore inapplicable. Instead, Westinghouse's duty hinges upon foreseeability. A duty of care arises when it is foreseeable that harm may result if care is not exercised. Lance, Inc. v. Ramanauskas, 731 So.2d 1204, 1208 (Ala.1999). Westinghouse argues that R.L. Reid and Mueller are both applicable to the question of duty. However, after careful consideration of both cases, we conclude that R.L. Reid and Mueller are distinguishable from the present case. In R.L. Reid, the plaintiff sued R.L. Reid, a consulting engineering firm, arguing that its faulty specifications of a loading facility had caused the death of her husband. 350 So.2d at 1023. Specifically, the plaintiff argued that the defendant had negligently failed to provide a guard to shield workers from the opening of a belt feeder, a machine used to transfer bulk ore to railroad cars, for loading on the cars. 350 So.2d at 1023. The plaintiff's husband, a crane operator at the facility, was killed when his body was pulled through the opening of the belt feeder. 350 So.2d at 1025. Before the accident, the Alabama State Docks Department had hired R.L. Reid to prepare the plans and specifications for the modification of its loading facility. Significantly, the evidence indicated that the plan originally submitted by R.L. Reid would have made the machine inaccessible to workers at the loading facility. 350 So.2d at 1027. The State Docks, however, opted not to follow those plans. Had they done so, the danger of the opening in the belt feeder would have been alleviated, and a guard would not have been necessary. Based upon that evidence, this Court concluded that the plaintiff had failed to establish that R.L. Reid had breached any duty to the decedent by failing to recommend the installation of a safeguard at the point where the decedent met his death. Id. at 1027. In the present case, there is no indication that Westinghouse suggested the inclusion of an interlocking device or any pressure- or presence-sensing devices that would have deactivated power to the belt wrapper and prevented the accident that killed Jerry Hannah. The evidence is uncontradicted that, unlike R.L. Reid, Westinghouse provided no safety features in its design and construction of the control panels and electrical circuits for the CAL. Hannah introduced two experts who both testified that Westinghouse should have known to include a safety device, such as an interlocking or pressure-sensing device, in the electrical controls. Mueller, a case decided by the Court of Civil Appeals, is also distinguishable. In Mueller, the defendant, HSI, was hired only to inspect the mechanical functions of a bridge crane and runway system of a foundry used to produce fire hydrants. The facility operated two overhead cranes that were supported by hangers connected by bolts to a track or runway. The owner of the foundry sued HSI when one of those bolts fractured, causing the crane to collapse. 693 So.2d at 1382. In support of its argument that it owed no duty to the plaintiff to inspect the cranes on the runway system, HSI submitted expert testimony indicating that the runway system did not have any electrical or mechanical components that HSI would have been required to inspect. 693 So.2d at 1385. Based upon this evidence, the Court of Civil Appeals concluded that HSI owed no duty to the foundry, because the collapse of the crane was unrelated to any mechanical function. 693 So.2d at 1385. In the present case, Hannah submitted the deposition testimony and affidavits of a mechanical engineer, Dr. Ryan, and the deposition testimony of an electrical engineer, Dr. Conner, who both agreed that the electrical controls provided by Westinghouse directly controlled the movement and the retraction of the belt wrapper. Dr. Ryan, Hannah's mechanical engineering expert, testified that the electrical controls Westinghouse designed told the belt wrapper when to go and how to do it. According to Hannah's experts, Westinghouse could have designed a safety feature within the electrical control system that would have prevented the accident that killed Jerry Hannah. In addition, Dr. Ryan, Hannah's mechanical engineering expert, and Les Rice, a former McKay project engineer, both testified in deposition that, because the buttons on the control panel were exposed, it was foreseeable that someone would mistakenly hit the wrong button. According to Dr. Ryan, Westinghouse should have included an electrical lockout feature in its design to reduce the risk of harm to workers on the CAL. Rice testified that it was standard electrical engineering practice to include an interlock or prevent mode in the system to prevent damage to the machinery or harm to personnel. Rice also testified that this normally would have been the responsibility of McKay, the manufacturer of the belt wrapper; however, if McKay failed to do so, Westinghouse should have noticed the absence of an interlock or prevent mode and brought it to McKay's attention. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Hannah, as we must, we hold that Hannah presented substantial evidence creating a jury question as to whether Westinghouse owed a duty of care to Hannah.
Westinghouse also contends that even if the control logic and the control panels are products under the AEMLD, Hannah failed to demonstrate that a feasible alternative design was available that would have reduced or eliminated Jerry Hannah's injuries. In order to prove that a product is defective for purposes of the AEMLD, a plaintiff must prove that `a safer, practical, alternative design was available to the manufacturer at the time it manufactured the [product]. The existence of a safer, practical, alternative design must be proved by showing that: `(a) The plaintiff's injuries would have been eliminated or in some way reduced by use of the alternative design; and that `(b) taking into consideration such factors as the intended use of the [product], its styling, cost, and desirability, its safety aspects, the foreseeability of the particular accident, the likelihood of injury, and the probable seriousness of the injury if that accident occurred, the obviousness of the defect, and the manufacturer's ability to eliminate the defect, the utility of the alternative design outweighed the utility of the design actually used.' Beech v. Outboard Marine Corp., 584 So.2d 447, 450 (Ala.1991) (second emphasis added), quoting General Motors Corp. v. Edwards, 482 So.2d 1176, 1191 (Ala.1985), overruled on other grounds, Schwartz v. Volvo North America Corp., 554 So.2d 927 (Ala.1989). Hannah's experts, Dr. Ryan and Dr. Conner, described five feasible alternative designs Westinghouse could have used in the design and construction of the electrical controls for the CAL. According to Dr. Ryan, Westinghouse could have included a Blackstock Fix in the electrical control design, a feature by which, once the line run button was pressed, the traverse function of the belt wrapper would be locked out. Dr. Ryan did not specifically state that the Blackstock Fix would have eliminated or in some way reduced the injuries Jerry Hannah suffered; however, Dr. Ryan did testify that the Blackstock Fix feature would have locked out the belt wrapper: [Ryan:] ... One of the criticisms is that... Westinghouse should have put in a Blackstock Fix. Being when you hit the line run button, it locks the traverse function of the belt wrapper, locks it in. .... [Ryan:] Stays locked out until the mandrel is collapsed and that, in other words, being the mandrel, what we are calling the Blackstock Fix, or something to that or better than that. That would have helped. An essential element of proof as to whether a safer, feasible alternative design was available is proof that the plaintiff's injuries would have been eliminated or in some way reduced by use of the alternative design. Beech v. Outboard Marine Corp., 584 So.2d at 450. Although Dr. Ryan did not state that Jerry Hannah's injuries would have been eliminated or in some way reduced had the Blackstock Fix feature been in place, because the Blackstock Fix would have locked in the belt wrapper, it is axiomatic that if such a feature had been incorporated Gieske could not have pressed a button on the control panel that would cause the belt wrapper to move forward, killing Jerry Hannah. Dr. Conner testified that Westinghouse could have implemented an optical device that could sense the presence of a person and activate a warning light, which would in turn deactivate power, causing the belt wrapper to stop. According to Dr. Conner, another safety device Westinghouse could have included in its design of the electrical controls was a mechanical device to sense the pressure or weight of an individual and in turn cause a warning signal to occur and then an electrical lockout. Dr. Conner did not state whether these devices alone would make the belt wrapper safe. According to Dr. Conner, an adequate safety regime would also include a barrier guard. Although Dr. Conner did not state whether these devices would have eliminated or reduced the injuries Jerry Hannah suffered, because these devices would have deactivated power to the belt wrapper, it is again axiomatic that if one of these features had been in place, the accident that killed Jerry Hannah would not have occurred. Further, the deposition testimony of John Montoro, a Westinghouse engineer, also creates a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether an emergency override button, pressure mats, or an electrically interlocked barrier was a feasible alternative. Montoro testified as follows: [Q] [D]evice that interlocksautomatically interlocks thethe belt wrapper traverse in function, will itis there any electrical operation reason why it should not be incorporated in there? Not is there a safety reason. Is there an electrical function operatereason why they [Montoro:] The reason why we couldn'tI have already told you we didn't do that. You could put an electrical circuit in to do this? .... [Montoro:] You could. You could make a design like this. Q. And [Montoro:] Use these curtains and lights, curtains so on. Q. And are thesethe pressure pads, the light[,] curtains, are they economically feasible to put in? [Montoro:] I don't know. I have no idea what they cost. I never used them. .... Q. Is there any reason that an emergency override button specific to the belt wrapper traverse out function could not have been installed, incorporated, that would allow energy to flow to the solenoid to send a signal to traverse out irregardless [sic] of any other conditions being met as an emergency device? [Montoro:] Certainly you can put a button in that will directly pick up that relay. .... Q. Is it economically feasible? [Montoro:] It is not going to cost much. Montoro's deposition testimony, together with the testimony of Hannah's experts, Dr. Ryan and Dr. Conner, create a genuine issue of material fact as to whether a safer, feasible alternative design was available that may have eliminated or reduced the risk of injury to Jerry Hannah. We also note that, in addition to the interlocking device, the presence, and pressure sensing devices, Hannah's experts offered other possible alternatives. Because we have already concluded that a genuine issue of material fact exists regarding whether a feasible alternative was available necessitating a trial on other feasible alternatives, we do not reach these additional issues.