Vulcan Materials Co. v. Driltech, Inc.

Marshall, Presiding Justice.

This case comes to us on certified questions from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. These are the facts:

In 1976, Vulcan Materials Company, Inc., purchased a rotary blast hole drilling machine for use in its rock quarry near Kennesaw, Georgia. The machine was manufactured by Driltech, Inc. In 1978, a cast iron bushing in the machine’s compressor system fractured, releasing a spray of hydraulic fluid. This spray was ignited by the heat of the engine, and the machine burst into flames. The drill operator was in the cabin of the machine when the fire started and…