Hamann v. Ridge Tool Co.

Defendant, Ridge Tool Company, appeals as of right from a jury verdict of $520,000 for plaintiff Ronald Hamann and $70,000 for plaintiff Patricia Hamann. We reverse and remand for a new trial.

During a bridge reinforcement project in 1988, fifty-year-old plaintiff, an ironworker, used a cable hoist purchased from defendant Ridge Tool Company. Plaintiff, who stood in a condor extension basket, pulled on the handle of the cable hoist, also known as a "come-along,” to reposition beams on the bridge. As he pulled the handle, the handle frame broke; plaintiff fell and broke his right knee.

In his…