Jones v. Ryobi, Ltd.

37 F. 3d 423 (1994)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Jones (P) operated a printing press for her employer Business Cards Tomorrow (BCT). Sometime after this press was delivered to BCT, the plastic safety guard was removed, and the interlock switch was disabled to allow the press to run without the guard. This modification increased production by a few seconds and was common practice in the printing industry. P knew the guard was missing and that it was dangerous to have her hands near the moving parts, but her supervisor pressured her to save time by adjusting eject wheels while the press was running. P feared she would be fired if she took the time to stop the press. On one occasion, while adjusting the eject wheels on the running press, a noise startled P. She jumped, and her left hand caught in the press's moving parts and was crushed. P alleged negligence and strict liability for defective design against the manufacturer Ryobi, Ltd. (D). The manufacturer and distributor were granted a judgment as a matter of law by the District Court. P appealed.