Langdon v. Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation

On October 7, 1964, William Matilainen, employed by Brasel & Sims Construction Company as a cement finisher, was seriously injured by a bucket of cement that dropped when the wire cable which held the crane boom came loose. His guardians sued Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation for $1,003,000, 1 alleging, inter alia, in their complaint:

“Defendant was negligent in the manufacture and design of the above-described machine [a Lima Type 44 crane] in that the cable was attached to the spool with a deadend device connection or attachment utilizing a socket and wedge, which said device is but 70…