Opinion ID: 2547459
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The J-26 Lighter

Text: To operate a J-26 lighter, the user must press a shield over the sparkwheel and rotate the sparkwheel to generate a spark while pressing a fork near the sparkwheel to release fuel. In 1995, BIC reported to the CPSC that testing had been conducted on the J-26 and ninety percent of the children tested could not operate the surrogate lighters. The report set out specifications for the J-26's five components [1] that collectively resulted in the lighter being child-resistant: (1) the distance that the shield over the sparkwheel must be pushed down, (2) the force required to move the shield; (3) the distance the fork must move to release butane; (4) the force required to depress the fork; and (5) the force required to produce a spark by rotating the sparkwheel. Carter's manufacturing defect claim was that two components of the Subject Lighter, the shield force and the fork force, deviated from specifications BIC furnished to the CPSC. In BIC's previous appeal, we noted that the savings clause in the CPSA allows state-law tort claims so long as they do not conflict with applicable federal regulations. BIC Pen, 251 S.W.3d at 506. On that basis, we held Carter's design defect claim was preempted because the design of the J-26 was properly certified according to federal protocol, and state law imposing a higher common-law standard for child resistance would conflict with the federal regulations. Id. at 509. BIC asserts that Carter's manufacturing defect claim is similarly preempted because the imposition of manufacturing defect liability based on a product that complies with federal manufacturing requirements would impose a more strict standard than federal law.