Huynh v. Ingersoll-Rand

Opinion

JOHNSON, J.

In this case, a worker sued the manufacturer of a hand-held power grinder which severely injured his eye. The trial court granted summary judgment on grounds the grinder was “misused” by attaching the wrong disc to the machine. We reverse because the defendant failed to sustain its burden of proving the “misuse” caused the injury or of demonstrating the manufacturer provided an adequate warning against this potential dangerous mismatch of components.

Facts and Proceedings Below

In September 1987, appellant Jones T. Huynh applied for a position as a welder at Southwest Marine,…