Opinion ID: 2994892
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Restatement (Second) of

Text: Torts Section 388 Claim In addition to her claim against Glidden as a manufacturer under the Act, Ritchie also claims that she is entitled to recover from Glidden as the supplier of the accident pump. Ritchie bases her contention on the fact that the Restatement (Second) of Torts imposes liability on a supplier of goods that are known to be dangerous for an intended use if the supplier does not use reasonable care to warn the consumer of the dangers of the chattel. See Restatement (Second) of Torts sec.sec. 388, 392 (1965). In McGlothlin v. M & U Trucking, Inc., 688 N.E.2d 1243 (Ind. 1997), the Indiana Supreme Court embraced section 388 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts as a proper vehicle for imposing liability on suppliers of dangerous chattels. Id. at 1245. The Restatement provides that a supplier is any person who for any purpose or in any manner gives possession of a chattel for another’s use, or who permits another to use or occupy it while it is in his own possession or control. See Bogard v. Mac’s Restaurant, Inc., 530 N.E.2d 776, 779 n.3 (Ind. Ct. App. 1988) (quoting Restatement (Second) of Torts sec. 388 cmt. c (1965)). A supplier is liable under section 388 if the supplier (a) knows or has reason to know that the chattel is or is likely to be dangerous for the use for which it is supplied, and (b) has no reason to believe that those for whose use the chattel is supplied will realize its dangerous condition, and (c) fails to exercise reasonable care to inform them of its dangerous condition or of the facts which make it likely to be dangerous. Downs v. Panhandle E. Pipeline Co., 694 N.E.2d 1198, 1207-08 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998) (quoting Restatement (Second) of Torts sec. 388 (1965)). Similarly, section 392 imposes liability on [o]ne who supplies to another, directly or through a third person, a chattel to be used for the supplier’s business purposes if the supplier fails to exercise reasonable care to make the chattel safe for the use for which it is supplied or exercise reasonable care to discover its dangerous condition or character, and to inform those whom he should expect to use it. Restatement (Second) of Torts sec. 392 (1965). Glidden argues that it is not a supplier within the meaning of section 388 because Ritchie has not shown that it supplied the pump in question. The district court agreed and found that the accident pump was not one of the pumps delivered by Pieri in January because the undisputed testimony established that the accident pump was not a cart-mounted pump. However, Ritchie does not allege that the accident pump was a cart-mounted pump. Instead, she challenges Pieri’s testimony that the pumps that he delivered in January were cart-mounted pumps. As discussed above, Ritchie has indeed shown that a genuine issue of fact exists regarding whether the pumps that Pieri delivered in January were cart-mounted pumps. The district court also found that Ritchie had not put forth any other evidence showing that the pump was supplied by Glidden. Specifically, the district court noted that Ritchie had not produced the offending pump, and thus could not show its origin. We believe, however, that Ritchie can survive summary judgment without producing the offending pump. As Ritchie points out, the pump was never in her control or possession, and what Redman decided to do with the pump after the injury was not within her control. As discussed in Part II.C.2, there is a genuine issue of fact as to whether the accident pump was one of the pumps delivered by Glidden in January. This, coupled with the fact that Ritchie has put forth sufficient evidence demonstrating Glidden’s knowledge of the dangers inherent in the use of high pressure painting pumps is sufficient to defeat Glidden’s motion for summary judgment.