Opinion ID: 1688195
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Original Marion

Text: Plaintiffs do not dispute that the proof showed the lift was a Marion lift, rather they contend that Ford failed to demonstrate which Marion company manufactured the lift. Carl Rose testified that the lift installed on the Ford F-600 truck involved in the accident was a 1964 Marion lift VL7272. Defendant's exhibit fifty-four was offered in support of this statement. The exhibit is a photocopy of the specifications on Marion vertical lifts models VL7272 and VL6246. While it is true that the specifications are undated and do not of themselves identify the lift in question, Carl Rose testified that the vertical lift in question was a 1964 Marion VL7272 vertical lift. His testimony was corroborated by that of Gilbert Herr, a former president and CEO of Marion Metal Products Company. Twice in his testimony he referred to the year 1964 in a way that one can only conclude that the lift in question was manufactured in 1964. While there were several Marion entities involved in the suit, the evidence presented established the existence of only one of those entities in 1964, the Original Marion. Thus, neither the Successor Marion Metal Products Company, which came into existence in 1967, or the Marion Manufacturing Company, which acquired Successor Marion in 1976, could have manufactured a vertical lift in 1964. This was sufficient proof to entitle Ford to the instruction about Original Marion.