Opinion ID: 405379
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: was the heil trailer unreasonably dangerous?

Text: 20 When it granted Heil's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, the court issued specific findings and conclusions in support of its judgment. The court found that the original Heil trailer was a special purpose trailer designed to haul pressurized hazardous liquids such as caustic or acid. As such, the operator was not required to get on top of the trailer to unload it. The court concluded that at the time it left Heil's control, the trailer was not unreasonably dangerous to potential users in that its utility much outweighed any risk to the user. Order of July 16, 1981, p.3. Having reviewed the evidence, we hold that the court acted properly in entering judgment n.o.v. on behalf of Heil because the facts and inferences point so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of (Heil) that ... reasonable men could not (have arrived) at a contrary verdict, Boeing Co. v. Shipman, 411 F.2d 365, 374 (5th Cir. 1969), as to whether the Heil trailer was unreasonably dangerous. 21 Three witnesses testified concerning the condition of the Heil trailer. David Fellows, Director of Engineering of the Bulk Trailer Division at Heil, testified as an expert witness on behalf of the company. He described Heil's design of the trailer, including the catwalk system, and the reasons for the design. Fellows testified that the trailer was designed to carry caustic or acid. No insulation was necessary because the chemicals remained at temperatures below 100o . The dome lid atop the trailer was used for loading, but not for unloading, the chemicals. To enable the operator to reach the lid, Heil installed catwalks along the mid-line of the trailer and a handrail along the dome lid guard. The operator was expected to stand on the catwalk and hold the rail with one hand, and loosen the six lugs and open the lid with the other hand. Fellows testified that the position in which the operator stood when opening the lid-the three point hold-was a safe and steady one. The hinge point was located on the right hand side of the lid so that when opened, the lid swung upward and toward the front of the trailer. Although the operator had to lean across the lid to loosen the farthest lug, the position of the hinge point provided leverage and enabled the operator to stand away from the mouth of the lid while pulling it open. 22 When questioned about the location of the catwalk system, Fellows testified that it was placed on the side, rather than the top, for practical as well as safety purposes. First, Fellows explained, because of the position of the hinge point and the direction in which the lid opened, it was easier for the operator to stand at the side of the trailer, rather than on top, to open the lid. Had he stood atop the trailer, the operator would not have had the advantage of the leverage which enabled him to pull open the lid from the side. Furthermore, it was safer for the operator to stand on the side catwalk rather than on top of the trailer. In fact, Fellows emphasized repeatedly, the trailer was designed specifically to keep the operator off the top of the trailer. 23 Fellows also discussed the feasibility of installing a topside catwalk with a 42 guardrail. He explained that that design would have diminished significantly the utility of the trailer. By itself, the trailer measured slightly over ten feet tall. If a 42 guardrail were added, the trailer's height would be slightly over thirteen feet and six inches-the maximum truck height permitted on most highways. Also, many unloading stations were unable to accommodate trucks of that height. Folding or collapsable guardrails, in Fellows opinion, generally were unreliable and therefore too dangerous to be a viable alternative. 24 Charles Burnett, a Reagent employee, testified as to the condition of the trailer at the time it was purchased by his employer and the changes subsequently made. Burnett stated that when Reagent bought the trailer, it was an acid hauler. While it would be possible for the operator to stand on top while unloading the acid, this would be an unusual and unsafe practice, according to Burnett. In fact, Burnett explained, if Reagent had intended to use the trailer as an acid hauler, it would not have altered the design. Because Reagent needed a sulphur trailer, however, substantial changes had to be made. Once these changes were completed, Burnett concluded, the trailer became a different piece of equipment than that originally designed by Heil. 25 Plaintiff's expert witness, Dr. James Brennan, testified to the contrary concerning the safety of the Heil trailer in its original form. He stated that because the catwalk was located on the side of the trailer, the operator's face necessarily would hover over the dome lid. This was very dangerous, Brennan explained, because the operator might inhale toxic fumes. The absence of 42 guardrails increased the danger because if the operator inhaled the fumes, he might stumble backward and, without a guardrail, he might fall to the ground. Brennan also testified that the dome lid weighed 35 pounds and would be hard to open from the side catwalk, thus forcing the operator onto the top. These facts led Dr. Brennan to conclude that the Heil trailer was unreasonably dangerous. 26 On cross-examination, however, the weaknesses in Dr. Brennan's testimony became apparent. First, he conceded that he never designed a trailer, loaded a trailer, or watched a trailer being loaded. In fact, Dr. Brennan had not seen the trailer in question. Further, he admitted that his statement concerning the dome lid's weight was merely a guess. He accepted counsel's assertion that the lid actually weighed 25 pounds and that with the benefit of leverage, the lid weighed only 12 pounds. Finally, Dr. Brennan conceded that it might be safer to unload the trailer from the ground rather than from the top. 27 We conclude that the evidence showed that the design of the Heil trailer was not unreasonably dangerous in light of its intended and foreseeable uses. The only evidence of dangerousness came from Dr. Brennan. His conclusion that the catwalk should have been located on top was based upon his unsupported opinion that an operator standing on the side catwalk might inhale fumes. However, there was no evidence that the operator's face actually hovered over the lid; in fact, the only witness to testify on this point, David Fellows, specifically stated that this was not true. Dr. Brennan admitted that he never observed anyone operate the dome lid. Dr. Brennan also testified that the weight of the lid made it difficult to open from the side and that a person standing on top would be in a better position to lift the lid. On cross-examination, however, he admitted that he did not know the actual weight of the lid and he finally conceded that, with leverage, its true weight was only 12 pounds. Thus, the factual basis of Dr. Brennan's conclusion virtually disintegrated. 28 The evidence clearly showed that the original Heil trailer was a special purpose product designed to meet the needs of a particular part of the trucking industry, acid and caustic hauling. As such, it was unnecessary for the operator to mount the trailer to unload it. The dome lid was hinged in such a way that the operator was required to stand on the side catwalk to open the lid. Heil designed the trailer specifically to keep the operator off the top. All the evidence showed that the trailer was safe when used as a caustic or acid hauler, which was its intended purpose. 29 Our inquiry does not end here, however, because a product must be safe for its foreseeable uses as well. In this case, it is clear that Daberko's climbing on top and Reagent's changing the design were not foreseeable uses which Heil should have guarded against. Heil had no reason to foresee that an operator would climb on top to unload the trailer. In fact, Heil specifically attempted to prevent this by placing a catwalk on the side and hinging the lid so that it could be manipulated easily from that catwalk. By designing the catwalk and hinge point as it did, Heil was instructing the operator to use the side catwalk and cautioning him not to mount the trailer. Heil cannot be held liable for an operator's express disregard of its purposeful design. 30 Daberko was on top of the trailer because that is where the changes in the trailer required him to be. Our inquiry then is whether Heil should have foreseen, and therefore guarded against, this use of the trailer. We must conclude that Heil should not have foreseen this deviation in use. Heil designed an acid-hauling trailer that did not require the operator to climb on top to unload his cargo. It provided a safe and effective means for loading and unloading acid. When Reagent purchased the trailer for use as a sulphur hauler, it substantially altered Heil's design. Heil should not be required to have foreseen that a subsequent purchaser would remanufacture its trailer and change it from an acid hauler to a sulphur trailer and materially change the method of loading and unloading. Heil had no duty to design a convertible hauler.