Bullock v. Gulf & Western Manufacturing

Following a jury trial in this products liability action, the trial court granted defendant’s motion for a directed verdict. Plaintiff appeals as of right.

On October 26, 1976, plaintiff was injured when a ram descended upon his left hand as he was changing a broken punch in the course of his employment as a press operator at Detroit Steel Products (hereafter referred to as DSP). The machine involved was a Bliss 23M punch press, which was manufactured and sold in July of 1947. Defendant Gulf & Western is Bliss’s successor company. Plaintiff alleged that defendant had manufactured an unsafe…