Opinion ID: 1833850
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Open and Obvious Defense.

Text: Beloit argues that there is no duty owed by a remote manufacturer to a workman to guard against known, open and obvious dangers to the workmen. Translated literally, this seems to say that Beloit did not owe Harrell a duty to protect him from known, open and obvious dangers. The open and obvious doctrine appears to have its genesis in the case of Campo v. Schofield, 301 N.Y. 468, 95 N.E.2d 802 (1950). Stated succinctly, the doctrine is that there is no liability on the part of a manufacturer for injuries resulting from dangers which are patent and obvious. New York, which begat this doctrine in Campo, has since destroyed it in the recent case of Micallef v. Miehle Co., 39 N.Y.2d 376, 384 N.Y.S.2d 115, 348 N.E.2d 571 (1976). The New York Court of Appeals, in overruling Campo, stated, Campo suffers from its rigidity in precluding recovery whenever it is demonstrated that the defect was patent. Its unwavering view produces harsh results in view of the difficulties in our mechanized way of life to fully perceive the scope of danger which may ultimately be found by a court to be apparent in manufactured goods as a matter of law. 384 N.Y.S.2d at 120, 348 N.E.2d at 577. Taken to its logical conclusion, the application of the open and obvious doctrine amounts to an assumption of risk as a matter of law. Additionally, its application would relieve the defendant of the burden of proving that the plaintiff subjectively appreciated a known risk. In view of our highly technological environment, an adoption of such a doctrine would be a step backwards in an increasingly mechanized society. In essence, the doctrine permits the manufacturer to ignore a known hazard and escape liability because the workman also recognized the danger. Ordinarily, the conduct of the plaintiff, in his use of an alleged defective product, is a factual issue for the jury. See the Allowable Defenses section of Atkins v. American Motors Corporation, Ala., 335 So.2d 134 (1976). [3] In the context here applicable, we decline to apply the open and obvious defense as a matter of law. Under the evidence in the instant case, we hold that the jury was free to find that Beloit had the means and technology to make the product safe, while Harrell had but one choiceto work or not. Consequently, we hold that the open and obvious issue was likewise a question of fact for the jury.