This section contains the nature of the case and procedural background.

P was driving her 1991 Chevrolet Beretta, manufactured by D. The seat belt and shoulder harness were buckled. She turned left at an intersection and collided with an oncoming car. The driver's side air bag deployed within an instant of impact. P suffered three fractures of her lower mandible, which required surgery. She sustained medical expenses of $66,224. P sued D in product liability, alleging that the air bag deployed in a low-speed collision, causing her injuries. At trial, the court granted P's motion to exclude expert testimony offered by D regarding the expectations of an ordinary consumer and granted D's motion to preclude P's testimony about her expectations concerning the safety of the air bag. P testified that she did not expect the airbag to injure her. The evidence was in conflict as to whether P would have suffered injury but for the deployment of the air bag. P was 75 years old when the accident occurred. She had lost her teeth when she was 38, which caused extreme bone atrophy. Her doctors found that she had an extremely weak jaw. It was thus very fragile and susceptible to injury. The court instructed the jury, and D got the verdict. P appealed, contending that the jury should have been instructed on the consumer expectations test.

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