Court Opinion

ID: 9699828
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 20:53:18.339834+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:58.399290
License: Public Domain

FLAHERTY, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. Comparative negligence principles should be involved in product liability actions brought in accordance with Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts. Imposition of liability on business enterprises which manufacture and sell products, without regard to their proportionate faults in bringing about the injuries complained of, is to burden them with an unwarranted and fundamentally unfair liability, which works to the serious detriment of our economy. Business enterprises are burdened with liabilities, frequently enormous, often bearing little relationship to the actual faults that caused injuries. To the extent that our decision in McCown v. International Harvester Co., 463 Pa. 13, 342 A.2d 381 (1975) *10indicates a rejection of the application of comparative negligence principles in the realm of strict liability, it should be overruled.
Thus, in determining General Foam’s liability for Michael D’s fire loss, an apportionment should be made to reflect their comparative degrees of fault, in my view.
ORDER
PER CURIAM.
And now, this 14th day of January, 1994, the Application for Reargument of Appellants, Michael D’s Carpet Outlet, Laramie Corporation, a/k/a Stan’s Carpet, Inc., and Panelrama, Inc., from the opinion and order entered in this matter on November 12, 1993, is GRANTED and the appeal filed at 64 E.D. Appeal Docket 1991 is dismissed as having been improvidently granted.
LARSEN, J., did not participate in the consideration or decision of this matter.