Court Opinion

ID: 9777153
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:00:42.14134+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:49.533221
License: Public Domain

DONNELLY, Judge,
dissenting.
In my view, this cause should be reversed and remanded with directions to enter judgment for Beech Aircraft Corporation. I adopt, without quotation marks, pertinent portions of the opinion written in the Court of Appeals by Judge David J. Dixon and concurred in by Judge Jack P. Pritchard and Judge Charles Shangler:
Turning to Beech’s claim that its directed verdict and judgment n.o.v. motions should have been sustained, Beech’s brief puts the issue in a straight-forward manner. Plaintiff’s submission was under instructions patterned on MAI 25.04 and MAI 25.05, which are predicated upon the strict liability doctrine of RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 402A as explicated in Keener v. Dayton Electric Manufacturing Company, 445 S.W.2d 362 (Mo.1969). Beech first points out that a jury finding, that the product was being “put to a reasonably anticipated use” and that the product was “used in a manner reasonably anticipated,” was required by the law and the instructions in the case. Beech asserts that no evidence supports a finding of such essential facts, and that plaintiff’s evidence demonstrated the contrary. Beech argues what is obvious from the factual statement: that, in the installation of the parts, Executive and its employees did not comply with the Beech maintenance manual as the FAA regulations required, and, that the Executive personnel did not follow their own operations manual, which required such consultation with the Beech maintenance manual. Beech further notes that, as demonstrated by all the proof in the case, the mechanics who did the work had no experience in the installation, did not have the manual available for immediate use, and did not perform the installation as the manual directed. Beech points to the testimony of all of the witnesses who were knowledgeable about the installation before the aircraft was certified for flight. In further support of its position, Beech details the activities of the inspector who did not consult the manual, but followed an improper inspection procedure which did not verify proper installation. The evidence from all who testified on the subject clearly established that if the inspection procedures outlined in the Beech maintenance manual had been followed, the misinstallation would have been apparent. This is so because the inspection procedures provided that the cockpit control be placed in a specific position and then directed that the trim tabs be inspected to determine if they had moved the correct degrees in the right direction. The inspector admitted that, based upon the improper inspection procedure he followed, he did not have the “slightest idea” if the trim tabs were responsive to the indicated setting in the cockpit. Beech further argues that the Federal Aviation Regulations have the force and effect of the law. McClenny v. United Air Lines, Inc., 178 F.Supp. 372 (W.D.Mo.1959), and Tilley v. United States, 375 F.2d 678 (4th Cir.1967). Beech had the right to presume, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the law would be observed in the installation of the parts. Highfill v. Brown, 340 S.W.2d 656, 663 (Mo. banc 1960); Branstetter v. Gerdeman, 364 Mo. 1230, 274 S.W.2d 240, 246 (1955). Plaintiffs’ expert witness, Garrelts, also testified that the manufacturer was entitled to assume that the regulations and the manual would be followed. He further stated that, if the mechanics and inspector had followed the procedures outlined in the manual, the acci*391dent would not have happened. Beech notes that there is no evidence in the case to suggest that a similar incident had ever occurred in the past. All of the witnesses who testified said they had never even heard of such an occurrence. Beech’s affirmative evidence was to the effect that, in thousands of airplanes over a substantial number of years, no such misinstallation had ever occurred before.
This case does not involve a mismanufac-ture or other defect in the operation of the actuator assemblies themselves. Until the parts were installed in a reverse manner, they presented no danger arising from their use. The “manner of use” made the parts malfunction and caused the fatal crash. Thus, that Beech did not design the parts in accordance with “go or no go” principles or that Beech failed to designate them as right-hand or left-hand in some permanent fashion goes only to the issue of preventing the negligent installation or the manner of installation. The “manner of use” must be one that is reasonably anticipated. In Keener v. Dayton Electric Co., supra, 445 S.W.2d at 366, the court held:
[Plaintiff's verdict-directing instruction, failed to require a finding of an essential element....
The instruction is prejudicially erroneous because it failed to require a finding that the pump, as sold by Dayton, was defective and therefore dangerous when put to a use reasonably anticipated, and that it was used by Harold Keener in a manner reasonably anticipated. The requirement that the person injured be using the product in a way it was intended to be used is an element of plaintiffs cause of action. It is not a defense available to the manufacturer or seller as is “contributory fault.”
(Emphasis supplied.)
That direction of Keener has been followed without variation and is embodied in the language of MAI 25.04 and 25.05, which require a specific finding by the jury that the product “was used in a manner reasonably anticipated.” In Rogers v. Toro Manufacturing Company, 522 S.W.2d 632, 637 (Mo.App.1975), the court stated the proposition as follows:
Strict liability does not equate with absolute liability. Before the defendant can be held under the theory of strict liability, plaintiff must not only prove the article was defective and thus dangerous when put to a use reasonably anticipated, he must also prove that the article was being used in a manner reasonably anticipated and that damage resulted as a direct result of the article being defective. Keener v. Dayton Electric Manufacturing Co., 445 S.W.2d 362, 366[7] (Mo.1969).
Thus, the issue under the applicable law is whether the evidence supported a finding that Beech should have reasonably anticipated the manner of use. In determining the liability of the seller of a component part utilized by another defendant in creating a product for use by a consumer, the inquiry must focus upon the reasonably anticipated manner of use by the assembler. The evidence unequivocally demonstrates that the reasonably anticipated manner of use would have resulted in a proper assembly or at least a discovery of the error before the plane flew. Stated conversely, Beech could not reasonably anticipate that Executive would mishandle the assembly as it did. There is simply no evidence to support even an inference that such palpable negligence could be anticipated. Ordinarily, anticipated misuse would be shown by other incidents of such misuse. None of the experienced mechanics, inspectors, and other experts, had ever heard of such an occurrence. No basis exists for a finding that Beech could foresee the improper installation.
Foreseeability or proximate cause in products liability cases focuses upon the uses to be foreseen, and not the harm caused. This distinguishes products liability and negligence. Cryts v. Ford Motor Co., 571 S.W.2d 683 (Mo.App.1978). The foreseeable use, if present, raises the duty to make the use safe. If the use or misuse cannot be anticipated, there is no duty to guard against injury arising from such ab*392normal use. The law of products liability imposes a duty upon sellers of products to make them reasonably safe or non-defective. The limits of that duty are defined by the foreseeability or reasonable anticipation of the product’s use or misuse.
What has been said thus far disposes of both the issues of defective design and failure to warn, because the predicate for the failure-to-warn submission is the same as that in a design defect case — the use and the manner of use must be reasonably anticipated before a warning is required. Obviously, a manufacturer cannot warn of an “unanticipated use” or a “manner of use” not anticipated. Baker v. International Harvester Co., 660 S.W.2d 21, 23 (Mo.App.1983). The duty to warn relates, not to an unanticipated use or manner of use, but only to a “use reasonably anticipated.” When the product has a defect or danger unknown to the user when used in the manner to be reasonably anticipated, the duty to warn arises. Racer v. Utterman, 629 S.W.2d 387 (Mo.App.1981). Plaintiffs have cited dictum from Duke v. Gulf & Western Mfg. Co., 660 S.W.2d 404 (Mo.App.1983), in support of the submission of failure to warn. The sentence extracted from Duke is as follows:
The lack of an adequate warning in itself renders a product defective or unreasonably dangerous within the meaning of product liability law. Alman Bros. Farm & Feed Mill, Inc. v. Diamond Laboratories, Inc., 437 F.2d 1295, 1303 (5th Cir.1971); Martinez v. Dixie Carriers, Inc., 529 F.2d 457, 465 (5th Cir.1976); Gordon v. Niagara Mach. and Tool Works, supra [574 F.2d 1182] at 1190 [(5th Cir.1978) ]
Duke, supra, 660 S.W.2d at 418. Duke dealt with a machine with an inherent defect that rendered it dangerous, and the sentence states the correct rule that, in such cases, a duty to warn exists. The cases cited in support involve vaccines with inherent dangers known to the supplier, and a machinery case, involving an inherent danger known to the supplier.
Moreover, in the instant case, the lack of adequate warning could not even have been a cause in fact of the crash. There is no causal relationship between the lack of warning and the event because of the positive proof of the actions of the employees of Executive. The maintenance manual was not consulted and the directions given were ignored. The mechanics involved did not pay enough attention to the parts to even be able to say whether or not the parts numbers were present. No further warning in the maintenance manual or designation of the parts could have made any difference under the facts of this case. While a presumption may exist that if a warning has been given, it will be heeded, Racer, supra, that presumption cannot stand in the face of positive proof that the directions given were not heeded and that the parts’ identifying numbers were not even noticed.
Plaintiffs simply do not meet the central issue raised by Beech. Plaintiffs reiterate the proof of the Beech design standard, the FAA regulation, and the lack of a right-hand, left-hand designation on the assemblies. They then assert there was a “fifty-fifth chance” of reverse installation. They quote Garrelts, their expert witness, who likened this chance as “Russian roulette,” and then conclude that “the reverse installation was not only reasonably foreseeable but a near certainty.” This argument simply ignores the issue posed by these facts: whether Beech could have “reasonably anticipated the manner of use” by Executive of the parts Beech furnished.
Plaintiffs also assert that there was no affirmative evidence that the actuators were misused. That assertion misconceives the applicable rule of law. Although the actuators were utilized for their intended use, the manner of use was not one to be reasonably anticipated by Beech.
Under the law and the evidence in this case, the manner of use of the actuators could not have been reasonably anticipated by any reasonable person in Beech’s position. In making that assessment, it is, of course, necessary to consider Executive’s *393technical skill and expertise as a user, which was known to Beech, as well as Beech’s knowledge of the FAA regulations. No one can undertake repair such as was done in this case without licensure from the Federal Government. Beech knew that the parts would be used by trained, licensed mechanics and that the installation was subject to inspection by a licensed inspector. The entire scheme of the control and inspection of such repairs was thwarted by the actions of Executive’s employees. To say that a manufacturer of parts for aircraft is liable in a products liability sense under these facts would amount to making such a manufacturer an insurer of the work performed by Executive.
I respectfully dissent.