Matthews v. Stewart-Warner Corp.

Plaintiff was allegedly injured when a “zerk” (a steel lubrication fitting) allegedly chipped while plaintiff was inserting the zerk into a universal joint by means of an air press. Plaintiff brought suit against defendant corporation, the alleged manufacturer of the zerk, grounding her action on a products liability theory. After a trial before a jury, a verdict of $85,000 was entered on plaintiff’s behalf. Defendant’s appeal followed.

Before going further, some description of a zerk is necessary. A zerk is a fitting, made out of one piece of metal, the lower half looking somewhat like a…