Opinion ID: 1608109
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Claims against Alabama Trailer Company

Text: Ms. Nickolson claims that the trailer from which her husband fell was defective and unreasonably dangerous; that Alabama Trailer failed to warn her husband of the dangers associated with the use of the trailer; and thus that Alabama Trailer is liable under the Alabama Extended Manufacturer's Liability Doctrine. The trailer had been designed by Alabama Power Company. Alabama Trailer assembled the trailer pursuant to Alabama Power's specifications. Alabama Trailer argues that its assembly of the trailer was not causally related to the alleged defect because it had no input into the design of the trailer. The trial court held, based on Boyle v. United Technologies Corp., 487 U.S. 500, 108 S.Ct. 2510, 101 L.Ed.2d 442 (1988), that a manufacturer, such as Alabama Trailer, who manufactures a product pursuant to specifications of a third party is not liable for defects in that third party's design. Ms. Nickolson argues that the trial court misapplied the law in Boyle by concluding that Alabama Trailer had no legal duty to review Alabama Power's plans and specifications for possible flaws. She says that she seeks to have Alabama Trailer held liable on the basis that it did not act as a responsible contractor in building the trailer. She claims that a trier of fact could reasonably find that Alabama Power overlooked a necessary safety measure (having stanchions inserted in the bolster dogs [2] when more than one tier of poles is loaded on the trailer), and that Alabama Trailer should be held liable because it never informed Alabama Power of the dangerous condition that would exist in the trailer as a result of the omission of stanchions. We have held: `An independent contractor owes no duty to third persons to judge the plans, specifications or instructions which he has merely contracted to follow. If the contractor carefully carries out the specifications provided him, he is justified in relying upon the adequacy of the specifications unless they are so obviously dangerous that no competent contractor would follow them. The rule, as expressed in the oft-cited case of Ryan v. Feeney & Sheehan Building Co., [239 N.Y. 43, 46, 145 N.E. 321, 321-22 (1924)], is as follows: `A builder or contractor is justified in relying upon the plans and specifications which he has contracted to follow, unless they are so apparently defective that an ordinary builder of ordinary prudence would be put upon notice that the work was dangerous and likely to cause injury.' McFadden v. Ten-T Corp., 529 So.2d 192, 200 (Ala.1988). (Citations omitted.) Thus, in order to defeat Alabama Trailer's motion for a summary judgment, Ms. Nickolson had to present substantial evidence indicating that the absence of stanchions made the specifications so obviously dangerous that no competent contractor would follow them. Ms. Nickolson submitted expert testimony through the affidavit of Dr. Jeffrey H. Warren, who stated: The plans and specifications used to build the subject trailer are defective in that they did not provide for stanchions in the bolster dogs. If stanchions had been incorporated in the design and been placed in the bolster dogs, the stanchions would have prevented telephone poles from rolling off the trailer. This incident would not have occurred, and Michael Gene Nickolson would not have been fatally injured if stanchions had been put in the bolster dogs. Based upon my review of the [depositions and other evidence], my education, and my work and professional experience, it is my opinion that a responsible and reasonable trailer manufacturer would have questioned the absence of stanchions in the bolster dogs and would not have followed the plans and specifications without informing the purchaser of this significant defect in the plans and specifications. A responsible and reasonable manufacturer would not have built the subject trailer without stanchions in the bolster dogs. Alabama Trailer contends that it did not know how Alabama Power intended to use the trailer, and, consequently, could not have seen a danger so obvious as to require it to deviate from Alabama Power's specifications. Ms. Nickolson's expert testified that a reasonable contractor would not have followed the plans and specifications without informing Alabama Power of the significant defect that would be created by the absence of stanchions. This testimony is sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the plans and specifications Alabama Trailer relied upon were so obviously defective that a reasonable builder would be put on notice that the product would be dangerous and would likely cause injury. Viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to Ms. Nickolson, we conclude that the trial court erred in entering the summary judgment in favor of Alabama Trailer.