Claims Against Truck Manufacturer For Defective Grab Handle Go To Jury In California Federal Court
Claims against a truck manufacturer for allegedly designing a defective grab handle—used to aid truck operators entering and exiting the cab—will proceed to a jury trial in California federal court after a judge denied the manufacturer’s summary judgment motions. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California held that the plaintiff, who fell from a truck after a grab handle he was using allegedly rolled in his grip and caused him to fall, had raised genuine disputes of material fact as to whether the grab handle’s design was a substantial factor in causing his injuries. The manufacturer also argued that summary judgment was appropriate because of superseding negligence on the part of the plaintiff’s employer, who failed to ensure that the grab handle’s screws remained tightened. The court rejected this argument, finding that the failure to tighten the screws was not so unforeseeable or extraordinary that a reasonably thoughtful person would not take this into account (which was necessary to be a superseding cause under California law).
