Court Opinion

ID: 9568067
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:00:27.901436+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:24:18.763051
License: Public Domain

N. PATRICK CROOKS, J.
¶ 71. {concurring). I join the lead opinion, but I write separately in response to Justice Prosser's concurrence. Justice Prosser would have this court "acknowledge that the law has evolved and adopt Restatement (Third) of Torts: Products Liability § 2(b) to analyze products liability claims alleging defective design." Justice Prosser's concurrence, ¶ no.
¶ 72. I emphasize that the parties in this case did not invite the court to adopt § 2(b) of the Restatement (Third). The briefing and arguments to the court of appeals and this court in this case did not address the implications of adopting that approach. As the brief of defendants-respondents noted, "In short, the Restatement (Third) of Torts was not briefed, discussed, or even mentioned by any party prior to the Court of Appeals' sua sponte discussion of it." Before this court, the parties vigorously disputed whether the court of appeals, in referring to § 2(b) in its ruling, had "essentially adopted" the provision and based its ruling on it, but no party advocated for its adoption.
¶ 73. Because any consideration of such a fundamental change in Wisconsin law should not be done without a full and thorough briefing followed by oral arguments before this court, I believe we should decline to reach beyond the controversy the parties ask us to resolve to consider adopting an approach that no party has asked us to adopt. The parties in this case argued that this case could be resolved on the basis of existing Wisconsin law, and we have done so. We should address the question of adopting Restatement (Third) § 2(b) when a case arises in which one of the parties asks us to *130do so and not before. We need briefing and oral arguments before deciding to make a sea change in Wisconsin law — one that could result in throwing out forty-two years of precedent beginning with Dippel v. Sciano, 37 Wis. 2d 443, 155 N.W.2d 55 (1967).
¶ 74. I therefore respectfully concur.
¶ 75. I am authorized to state that Chief Justice SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON and Justice ANN WALSH BRADLEY join this concurrence.