Woodrick v. Smith Gas Service, Inc.

In February, 1965, the plaintiff was driving a 1964 Thunderbird automobile along Route 51 approaching the city of Mendota. The car was equipped with a device called the “Auto-Start,” installed by the defendant, Smith Gas Service, Inc., and manufactured by the defendant, Systematics, Inc. The purpose of the device was to automatically start and stop the car to maintain engine temperatures during periods when the car was unattended. A component part of the device was a so-called bead chain leading from a solenoid to the throttle lever. As originally installed the chain was in two parts…