Simonetti v. Rinshed-Mason Co.

This is a products liability-negligence action heard by a jury.

On September 4, 1963, plaintiff Louis Simonetti was an employee of the Baker Perkins plant in Saginaw, Michigan. He was assisting a co-employee in welding an inspection plate on a piece of machinery. The machine had been previously cleaned by the use of defendant’s product, Synthetic Thinner, ER-59. When the welder arced his machine to start welding, the residue and vapors of ER-59 ignited and exploded. Plaintiff Louis Simonetti was severely and permanently injured. Plaintiffs claimed that ER-59 had a dangerously low flash point,…