Wortel v. Somerset Industries, Inc.

PRESIDING JUSTICE GALLAGHER

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, Lisa Wortel, appeals from the trial court’s order granting summary judgment entered against her in favor of defendant, Somerset Industries. We reverse and remand. In this opinion, we clarify that the existence of an open and obvious danger is not a per se bar to finding that a product is unreasonably dangerous because of defective design so as to subject a manufacturer to liability.

Facts

On May 13, 1996, plaintiff was injured at work when her left hand became caught in the rollers of a pizza dough rolling machine designed…