Eickelberg v. Deere & Co.

ALLBEE, Justice.

Plaintiff, James L. Eickelberg, was injured when his hand was caught between the belt and sheave of a variable speed transmission on the left side of a John Deere Model 95 combine. That implement belonged to Robert Rose, whom plaintiff had hired to harvest his soybeans. At the time of the accident, plaintiff was attempting to assist Rose in making minor repairs of the machine in the field.

As originally pleaded, the lawsuit was against Deere & Co. for products liability, based on negligence, strict liability and warranty theories, and against Rose and Darwin Larsen, the combine…