Opinion ID: 755789
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Negligence and Breach of Implied Warranty of Merchantability

Text: 35 Plaintiffs' first two related causes of action are for negligence and for breach of an implied warranty of merchantability. To establish a claim for negligence based on a defective product plaintiffs must establish that: (1) the product was defective; (2) the defendants were negligent in their manufacture, design, inspection or sale of the product; and (3) defendants' negligence proximately caused injury to plaintiffs. Driver v. Burlington Aviation, Inc., 110 N.C.App. 519, 527, 430 S.E.2d 476, 483 (1993); Jolley v. General Motors Corporation, 55 N.C.App. 383, 385, 285 S.E.2d 301, 303 (1982). 36 To establish a claim for breach of implied warranty, plaintiffs must establish that: (1) the product was subject to an implied warranty of merchantability; (2) the product breached the warranty because it was defective at the time of sale; and (3) the defect proximately caused injury to the plaintiff. Jolley, 55 N.C.App. at 385-86, 285 S.E.2d at 303. Because the requirements for these two causes of action are so nearly alike, courts have held that a finding on one claim often applies equally to the other. See Penland v. BIC Corporation, 796 F.Supp. 877, 885 (W.D.N.C.1992). 37 For both of the first two claims, plaintiffs must establish the existence of a defect in the carpet installed in their home. With their motion for summary judgment, defendants submitted the affidavit of Larry D. Winter, an analytical chemist for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M). Mr. Winter specializes in the analysis of fluorochemicals such as those used in the manufacturing of 3M's Scotchguard carpets, the type involved in the present case. (Winter Affidavit at Paras. 2 and 3.) At the request of Ken Padgett of Salem Carpets, Mr. Winter analyzed a sample of carpet removed from plaintiffs' home and found a fluorochemical compound identified as 3M's Scotchguard Stain Release, and other chemicals commonly found in residential carpets, but no unusual materials. (Id. at Para. 5.) Defendants assert that Mr. Winter's affidavit establishes that the particular carpet installed in plaintiffs' home did not contain any defect. 38 Other than Dr. Anderson's affidavit and testimony, which this court has stricken, plaintiffs' only other potential evidence of a defect in the carpet is the statements attributed to Roger L. Parker, the manager of the Sherwin Williams store that sold the carpet to Ms. Sandra Ruffin. In her deposition, Sandra Ruffin alleged that two weeks after installing her carpet and in response to her repeated complaints, Roger Parker told her that he had spoken to Salem Carpet and that [y]our carpet got in a bad batch of chemicals and is highly toxic. (Sandra A. Ruffin Deposition at p. 160.) As corroboration, plaintiffs submitted the affidavit of the individual who installed and removed the carpet from plaintiffs' home, Steve Archer. In his affidavit, Mr. Archer avers that Roger Parker also told him that the carpet he installed in plaintiffs' home got in a bad batch of chemicals. (Archer Affidavit at Para. 5.)Although defendants argue that these statements are hearsay and double hearsay, for the purposes of this motion, the court accepts them as admissible admissions of a party opponent. Notwithstanding their admissibility, however, these statements are insufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact on the existence of a defect in the carpet installed in plaintiffs' home. Although the affiants could testify that Mr. Parker made such remarks, his alleged comments do not purport to offer any factual basis for the conclusory statement that the carpet installed in plaintiffs' home got in a bad batch of chemicals. Without a factual basis for the conclusory comments, Mr. Parker would not be competent to testify as to the existence of a defect in the carpet, and therefore his alleged statements cannot create a genuine issue of fact on the existence of a defect. See F.R.Civ.P. 56(e); F.R.E. 602, 701. 39 In other words, presented with the testimony of Larry Winter stating that a chemical analysis of the carpet identified no unusual materials or chemicals and the statements attributed to Mr. Parker, no reasonable jury could find that the carpet installed in plaintiffs' home contained such a defect, and the court would be compelled to set aside such a verdict if a jury so found. Thus, the statements attributed to Roger Parker are insufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact on the existence of a defect in the carpet installed in plaintiffs' home. 40 Consequently, plaintiffs have failed to create a genuine issue of fact on an essential requirement of both their negligence and breach of implied warranty of merchantability claims. Therefore, the court will grant summary judgment for defendants on both these claims. 2