Decker Plastics Inc. v. West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.

At the time in question, Al’s, Inc. of Storm Lake, Iowa (“Al’s”), packaged and sold landscaping materials. Decker Plastics Corp. (“Decker”) sold plastic bags to Al’s that Al’s filled with landscaping materials (sand and rock) and stored outdoors for sale to its customers. Because Decker failed to manufacture the bags with an ultraviolet inhibitor (“UVI”), the bags deteriorated in the sunlight, causing small shreds of plastic to commingle with Al’s landscaping materials, sometimes while still in Al’s inventory and sometimes after delivery to its customers. As the contaminant could not be…