Opinion ID: 2450730
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Questions for the Jury

Text: We substantially agree with the Court of Appeals that this case resolves itself into the adequacy of the warning given by Cleveland and Bohnert to Reynolds, under the circumstances present, and the possible assumption of responsibility by Reynolds. We disagree, however, with the instructions recommended by the Court of Appeals. In substance, the instructions recommended by the Court of Appeals required the jury to first determine whether Cleveland and Bohnert should have foreseen that Reynolds would not see to the installation of bracing sufficient to prevent the breakage of the hanger rods. These instructions then seemed to require that in the event the jury believed Cleveland and Bohnert should have foreseen that Reynolds would fail to make the needed installation, then it was the duty of Cleveland and Bohnert either to give Reynolds adequate warning of the danger or in the absence of adequate warning to apply such technology as the jury may believe from the evidence was then available to the defendants to so design the crane system as to prevent the breaking of the hanger rods. Under the evidence in this case, we think the warning given to Kittel discharged the manufacturer's and seller's responsibility if it was adequate under the circumstances. The warning duty has been deemed satisfied where warning was given to supervising engineers or technicians though not to the one who was injured while simply following the directions of such skilled individuals. 72 C.J.S. Supp. Products Liability § 27, pp. 42, 43, 44. Cf. Ulrich v. Kasco Abrasives Co., supra. There was no evidence that Cleveland and Bohnert knew or had reason to know that Reynolds was careless or would fail to install the bracing, if it, in fact, agreed to install it. The requirement in the recommended instructions that in the absence of adequate warning Cleveland was to design the crane system to prevent the harm does not conform to the evidence. Upon a retrial of this case, if the evidence be the same, or substantially similar, the jury should be instructed that it was the duty of the defendants, Cleveland and Bohnert, to communicate their warning to Kittel, the plant engineer of Reynolds, so as to afford to Kittel, as a plant engineer in charge of the maintenance of the crane, fair and adequate notice of the danger and possible consequences of using or even misusing of the equipment, except for those dangers and consequences which the jury believes were obvious to a reasonable plant engineer under the same or similar circumstances as those present in this case. If the jury believes from the evidence that Cleveland and Bohnert gave such fair and adequate warning to Reynolds, or that Kittel, the plant engineer, or Reynolds, agreed to assume the responsibility for the prompt installation of sway bracing the crane, then the law is for the defendants and they should so find; but, unless they so believe, the law is for the plaintiff and they should so find. The decision of the Court of Appeals is affirmed in part and reversed in part and the cause is remanded to the circuit court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. All concur.