Summary
holding that the record presented triable issues of fact concerning whether the subject forklift, as marketed with an attached but removable overhead safety guard, was not reasonably safe for the uses intended or reasonably anticipated by the manufacturer
Summary of this case from Guard Ins. Grp., Inc. v. Techtronic Indus. Co.Opinion
Argued February 4, 1986
Decided March 18, 1986
Appeal from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Second Judicial Department, William T. Bellard, J.
Herbert Rubin, Michael Hoenig, David B. Hamm and Jack E. Toliver for appellant.
Cheryl Eisberg Moin, Emilio Nunez, Harry H. Lipsig, Jay W. Dankner and Pamela Anagnos Liapakis for respondents.
MEMORANDUM.
The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed, with costs.
The record presents triable issues of fact concerning whether the forklift, as marketed with an attached but removable overhead safety guard, was "not reasonably safe" (Voss v Black Decker Mfg. Co., 59 N.Y.2d 102, 108) for the uses intended or reasonably anticipated by the manufacturer (see, Micallef v Miehle Co., 39 N.Y.2d 376, 385-386).
As correctly noted by the Appellate Division in denying defendant's motion for summary judgment (CPLR 3212), this court's holding in Robinson v Reed-Prentice Div. ( 49 N.Y.2d 471) does not compel a different result. In contrast with the detaching of the removable safety guard in this case, Robinson involved "[m]aterial alterations [i.e., cutting a 6-inch by 14-inch access hole in the safety gate of a plastic molding machine] which work[ed] a substantial change in the condition in which the product was sold by destroying the functional utility of a key safety feature" (49 N.Y.2d, at p 481). There is evidence in this record that the forklift was purposefully manufactured to permit its use without the safety guard.
Chief Judge WACHTLER and Judges MEYER, SIMONS, KAYE, ALEXANDER and HANCOCK, JR., concur; Judge TITONE taking no part.
Order affirmed, with costs, in a memorandum. Question certified answered in the affirmative.