Opinion ID: 2046018
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The consumer complaints.

Text: To properly address this issue, we believe it helpful to explain in detail the evidence of consumer complaints made to BRK. At trial, BRK customer service employee Beth Weber testified concerning BRK's method of responding to consumer complaints. Weber testified that a consumer would either telephone or write to BRK concerning complaints regarding alleged failure of a smoke detector to alarm in the presence of smoke. A BRK customer service representative would document the relevant information. When a consumer complained that a smoke detector had failed to alarm in the presence of smoke, the notation N/R/S or No Response to Smoke was made on the report. Weber explained to the jury that the term No Response to Smoke is the term assigned by BRK to complaints where the consumer thought that the smoke detector should have sounded in the presence of smoke but did not. Weber was responsible for processing complaints directly from consumers. The next step in processing a consumer complaint was that a BRK customer service representative would respond in writing to the consumer using a form-type letter, asking the consumer to complete an enclosed questionnaire. The letter also included instructions on how to return the detector to BRK for examination. BRK would send a replacement detector to the consumer prior to the consumer returning the detector that allegedly failed to alarm. From 1983 until about 1992 or 1993, BRK would send consumers a combination detector. BRK now sends the consumer the same model that is the source of the complaint. Some of the complaining consumers completed the questionnaires and others did not. Approximately half of the customers returned their model 83R detectors. If the consumer sent the smoke detector to BRK for testing, BRK would examine the detector, check the battery connection, and submit it to the UL 217 smoke box test to determine whether the detector was working properly. According to BRK's records, of the detectors that were returned by consumers and that were subjected to the UL 217 smoke box test, none failed. After testing the detector, BRK would then send a letter to the consumer explaining what the likely problem was when the alarm did not sound. During the course of discovery in this case, plaintiffs requested BRK to produce company documents relating to customer complaints involving the alleged failure of the BRK model 83R detector to alarm to smoke. BRK produced approximately 363 consumer complaints that had been categorized as N/R/S or No Response to Smoke. These complaints were received by BRK during the period from July 1989 to December 1997. Only 116 of those complaints were received by BRK prior to the Mercer fire, which occurred on January 18, 1993. Prior to trial, BRK filed a motion in limine seeking to exclude all 363 consumer complaints from evidence at trial. BRK argued that the consumer complaints were inadmissible hearsay and were not relevant in that the Mercers had failed to show that the incidents reported in the complaints were substantially similar to the facts and circumstances of the Mercer fire.