Schoonover v. International Harvester Co.

This is an appeal and cross-appeal from the denial of certain post-trial motions following a jury award of $50,000 in a strict products liability action.

Plaintiff was allegedly injured when a step came loose while he was descending from the cab of his tractor-trailer truck. He filed a strict products liability action against defendants, International Harvester, the truck manufacturer, and Hertz Corporation, the truck owner, which altered the step prior to the occurrence. Hertz thereafter filed a third-party action against Celotex Corporation, plaintiff’s employer.

Several months before trial,…