Opinion ID: 2512590
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Products liability exterior insulation

Text: ¶ 10 The manufacturers maintain that they have no duty to warn of the dangers associated with use of another manufacturer's products. They contend that product liability law limits the duty to warn to those within the chain of distribution of the product and to those who manufacture a product that, when used with another product, synergistically creates a hazardous condition. ¶ 11 As we explained in Simonetta, common law product liability claims like those here [4] are governed by the Restatement (Second) of Torts § 402A (1965), [5] adopted in Ulmer v. Ford Motor Co., 75 Wash.2d 522, 531-32, 452 P.2d 729 (1969). Section 402A is intended to apply to those in the chain of distribution, i.e., a manufacturer, ... dealer or distributor of the product. Seattle-First Nat'l Bank v. Tabert, 86 Wash.2d 145, 148, 542 P.2d 774 (1975) (emphasis omitted); see Zamora v. Mobil Corp., 104 Wash.2d 199, 206, 704 P.2d 584 (1985) (§ 402A is broadly interpreted beyond manufacturers to apply to all others in the chain of distribution); cf. Haysom v. Coleman Lantern Co., 89 Wash.2d 474, 478-79, 573 P.2d 785 (1978), superseded on other grounds by statute as stated in Van Hout v. Celotex Corp., 121 Wash.2d 697, 853 P.2d 908 (1993) (Washington has adopted § 402A, under which a manufacturer may incur liability for failure to adequately warn of dangerous propensities of a product which it places in the stream of commerce). ¶ 12 Under § 402A, liability may be found in the case of inadequate warnings because [a] product may be faultlessly manufactured and designed, yet still not be reasonably safe when placed in the hands of the ultimate user without first giving an adequate warning concerning the manner in which to safely use the product. Teagle v. Fischer & Porter Co., 89 Wash.2d 149, 155, 570 P.2d 438 (1977); see also Van Hout, 121 Wash.2d at 704, 853 P.2d 908. [6] We held in Simonetta that a manufacturer is not liable for failure to warn of the danger of exposure to asbestos in insulation applied to its products if it did not manufacture the insulation and was not in the chain of distribution of the insulation. It makes no difference whether the manufacturer knew its products would be used in conjunction with asbestos insulation. Simonetta, 197 P.3d at 136. ¶ 13 Our decision in Simonetta is in accord with the majority rule nationwide: a manufacturer's duty to warn is restricted to warnings based on the characteristics of the manufacturer's own products; [t]he law generally does not require a manufacturer to study and analyze the products of others and warn users of the risks of those products. 3 AMERICAN LAW OF PRODUCTS LIABILITY 3d § 32:9 (John D. Hodson & Richard E. Kay eds.2004); 63A Am.Jur.2d Products Liability § 1127 (1997). [7] Courts reason, among other things, that in general a manufacturer has no obligation to become expert in another manufacturer's product and that the policy underpinnings for strict liability (where this is the rule in the jurisdiction, as in Washington) do not apply when a manufacturer has not placed the product in stream of commerce. E.g., In re Deep Vein Thrombosis, 356 F.Supp.2d 1055, 1067-69 (2005) (manufacturer of aircraft delivered without seats has no duty to warn airline or passengers of danger of deep vein thrombosis from allegedly improperly designed seats installed in plane after sale, even though manufacturer knew seats would be installed); Powell v. Standard Brands Paint Co., 166 Cal.App.3d 357, 364, 212 Cal.Rptr. 395 (1985) (the manufacturer's duty is restricted to warnings based on the characteristics of the manufacturer's own product (emphasis omitted)); Blackwell v. Phelps Dodge Corp., 157 Cal.App.3d 372, 203 Cal.Rptr. 706 (1984) (the defendant sold sulfuric acid, transported to the buyer in a tank car supplied by the buyer, and as a result of pressure generated within the tank car the acid spewed out and harmed the plaintiffs when they unloaded the tank car; the supplier of the sulfuric acid held to have no duty to warn of this danger because it was not an unreasonably dangerous condition or feature of the defendant's own product); Garman v. Magic Chef, Inc., 117 Cal.App.3d 634, 173 Cal.Rptr. 20 (1981) (manufacturer of stove had no duty to warn of danger of gas leaks in motor home before lighting pilot and using stove; plaintiff injured when gas leaking from pipe between propane gas tank and water heater was ignited when stove's pilot light lit; manufacturer is not liable for failure to warn of risk of harm from use of its product in conjunction with another product which because of a defect or unsafe use is itself unsafe); Fricke v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 618 So.2d 473 (La.Ct.App. 1993) (manufacturer is not liable for inadequate warnings regarding a product it neither made nor sold); Walton v. Harnischfeger, 796 S.W.2d 225 (Tex.Ct.App.1990) (crane manufacturer had no duty to warn of dangers of rigging that it did not manufacture, incorporate into its crane, or place into the stream of commerce; no duty to warn of another manufacturer's products, even if those products might be used in conjunction with its own product); Firestone Steel Prods. Co. v. Barajas, 927 S.W.2d 608, 616 (Tex.1996) (manufacturer has no duty to warn or instruct about another manufacturer's products, even if it knows those products might be used in conjunction with the manufacturer's products); see also Reynolds v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 989 F.2d 465, 472 (11th Cir.1993) (manufacturer of nondefective component tire cannot be held liable for a defective rim that `it did not manufacture, sell, or otherwise place in the stream of commerce' (quoting Sanders v. Ingram Equip., Inc., 531 So.2d 879, 880 (Ala.1988))); Newman v. Gen. Motors Corp., 524 So.2d 207 (La.Ct.App.1988) (manufacturer cannot be liable in a product liability claim where it did not manufacture or install the component of the product claimed to be defective); Mitchell v. Sky Climber, Inc., 396 Mass. 629, 487 N.E.2d 1374 (1986) (manufacturer of electrically powered lift motor had no duty to warn of safe and proper rigging to use with scaffolding equipment, where it provided no part of the scaffolding equipment sold or leased to plaintiff's employer other than the lift motors and did not design or assemble the scaffolding; the court said, [w]e have never held a manufacturer liable ... for failure to warn of risks created solely in the use or misuse of the product of another manufacturer ( id. at 1376)); Rastelli v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 79 N.Y.2d 289, 582 N.Y.S.2d 373, 591 N.E.2d 222 (1992) (tire manufacturer who produced a sound product had no duty to warn of danger associated with a defective rim manufactured by another because the tire manufacturer had no role in placing the rim into the stream of commerce, and derived no benefit from its sale, and did not contribute to the alleged defect, had no control over it, and did not produce it); see also In re Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Implants Prods. Liab. Litig., 97 F.3d 1050 (8th Cir.1996); In re Silicone Gel Breast Implants Prods. Liab. Litig., 996 F.Supp. 1110 (N.D.Ala.1997); Acoba v. Gen. Tire, Inc., 92 Hawai`i 1, 18, 986 P.2d 288 (1999); Kremer v. Duriron Co., 40 Ohio App.3d 183, 532 N.E.2d 165 (1987). ¶ 14 The manufacturers contend that there is no evidence that they manufactured the insulation applied to their products or that they were in the chain of distribution. [8] The plaintiff presented evidence in an attempt to show as to some of the defendants that they supplied or specified asbestos-containing insulation for use with their products. With regard to defendant Buffalo Pumps, the plaintiff maintains that documents said to be copies of Buffalo Pumps' certified plans from the National Archives and Records Administration show that Buffalo Pumps specified the use of external insulation, including asbestos-containing insulation, with their pumps. However, these plans on their face are identified as being from Bath Iron Works, as a box in the lower right hand corner of the first page shows. The only place that Buffalo Pumps is mentioned in the plans is in a small box titled REFERENCES that refers to a certain pump. Clerk's Papers (CP) at 776. The plans do not say that Buffalo Pumps required its pumps to be insulated with asbestos insulation, and the plaintiff does not explain why it is believed that the document supports this claim. [9] There is no evidence that Buffalo Pumps manufactured or supplied the external insulation applied to its pumps. ¶ 15 As to defendant IMO, the plaintiff cites a 1972 interoffice memorandum that refers to questions about using asbestos-containing products in insulation materials used by DeLaval's (IMO's predecessor) turbine division. [10] CP at 7218. The plaintiff also noted that a corporate representative for IMO testified in a deposition in another case that DeLaval sold asbestos insulation material for use with its turbine-driven equipment. Finally, the plaintiff cites an October 1972 memorandum from DeLaval's pump engineering that states, [a]ttached is a copy of [a telex] of 10-4-72 regarding use of non-asbestos insulation on the reactor feed pumps and asking for comments, and the attached telex that states, advise that non asbestos insulation mexx material is required per OHSHA. What substitute are we planning to use for the pumps? CP at 7235-37 (capitalization omitted). The plaintiff maintains that these materials suggest that DeLaval was using asbestos-containing insulation and supplying such insulation for use with its pumps. ¶ 16 However, there is no evidence that the pumps on which Mr. Braaten worked were insulated with material supplied by DeLaval and no evidence that DeLaval recommended or told the navy to use insulation or asbestos-containing insulation. [11] ¶ 17 The plaintiff has not presented sufficient evidence to withstand summary judgment as to whether the defendants manufactured, sold, or were otherwise in the chain of distribution of the asbestos-containing insulation applied to their products. Under Simonetta, as a matter of law the manufacturers here are not liable under § 402A for failure to warn of the danger of exposure during maintenance of their products to asbestos-containing insulation that was manufactured and supplied by third parties.