American Pharmaseal v. TEC SYSTEMS

Plaintiff, American Pharmaseal, brought a products liability-action against defendant-appellant, TEC Systems (TEC), and three other defendants for property damages resulting from an explosion and fire at plaintiffs plant in March 1982. The fire began when fumes passing through a pollution control device (called an afterburner) manufactured by TEC ignited, causing a flashback fire and explosion. The afterburner was designed to dispose of volatile fumes generated by a laminating machine used in plaintiff’s business, and the two machines were connected by a series of ducts. The other defendants…