Smith v. F.W.D. Corp.

Plaintiff Erika Smith, individually and as administrator of the estate of James Smith, deceased, filed a complaint in the circuit court to recover damages based on a theory of strict products liability. The complaint alleged that plaintiff’s decedent, a City of Chicago fire fighter, was killed when he fell from a fire truck. Named as defendants were Seagrave Fire Apparatus, Inc., the manufacturer of the chassis, F.W.D. Corporation, the overall manufacturer of the truck, and Illinois F.W.D. Truck and Equipment Co., the distributor of the truck. Plaintiff alleged that the truck was defective…