Opinion ID: 1400724
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Accident and Subsequent Litigation

Text: Glenwood used the FFG it had purchased from Weyerhaeuser for sixteen years without incident. By March 9, 2002, the date of his injury, Jaramillo had been employed by Glenwood for about five years and had operated the machine on numerous occasions. Jaramillo set up the machine on the morning of March 9 and ran an initial test print of a cardboard box. During the test, he entered the machinethat is, stepped into one of the open spaces between the operating sectionswhile it was running. His right hand was inadvertently caught between two rollers and seriously injured. Jaramillo filed a complaint in New York Supreme Court naming Weyerhaeuser, Corrugated Gear and Services, Inc., the successor-in-interest to S & S, Technology Licensing Associates, Inc. and Prime Technology, Inc., purchasers of some of S & S's bankrupt estate, and Kraft Foods Global, Inc., the successor-in-interest to General Foods, the original purchaser of the machine. The claim against Weyerhaeuser sounded principally in strict products liability. Jaramillo's theory in essence was that by 1986, when Weyerhaeuser sold the used FFG to Glenwood, open architecture machines were defective in character if not equipped with devices to shut off operation in the event open spaces were accessed. The gist of Jaramillo's claim was that Weyerhaeuser failed to add safety features to the machineeither a safety mat or an interlocking safety gatethat would have prevented Jaramillo's injury. The case was removed to the Southern District of New York on March 7, 2003. Weyerhaeuser moved for summary judgment, arguing principally that the company was a casual seller of FFGs and therefore could not be held strictly liable for any defects under New York law. [2] Jaramillo cross-moved, seeking a declaration that Weyerhaeuser was subject to strict products liability as an ordinary seller of FFGs. Jaramillo discontinued his claims as to the other defendants, leaving only his allegations against Weyerhaeuser. The district court granted Weyerhaeuser's summary judgment motion, denied Jaramillo's cross-motion, and dismissed the complaint. [3] This appeal followed.