Foster v. Devilbiss Co.

This products liability case was brought by plaintiff Lee Foster against defendant Devilbiss Company to recover for injuries allegedly caused by an airless spray gun manufactured by Devilbiss. After a jury trial, judgment was entered for Foster, which Devilbiss appeals. For the reasons below, we affirm in part, and reverse and remand in part.

The Devilbiss Model JGN 501 or JGN 502 airless spray gun is a hand-held device that sprays paint under very high pressure. At close range, the pressure is sufficient to inject the paint into one’s body. To prevent such mishaps, three safety features are…