Michael Stegall and P. Gayle Stegall, Husband and Wife v. Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, a Delaware Corporation

Citations: 17 F.3d 1437; 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 14554; 1994 WL 50432Docket: 92-7124

Court: Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; February 21, 1994; Federal Appellate Court

SummaryOriginalCytator Case TreatmentBackward CitatorAnalysis

EnglishEspañolSimplified EnglishEspañol Fácil

Michael and P. Gayle Stegall appealed a district court's summary judgment against them in a products liability case involving the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. The Stegalls claimed Michael suffered knee injuries due to alleged defects in a hopper car and the railroad's negligence. The district court determined the plaintiffs did not provide sufficient evidence to counter the defendant's motion for summary judgment, which was upheld by the appellate court.

The court emphasized that to prevail in a products liability claim under Oklahoma law, plaintiffs must demonstrate that the product caused the injury, was defective at the time of sale, and that the defect made it unreasonably dangerous. The Stegalls failed to identify any specific defects in the hopper car despite alleging design and manufacturing issues. The mere occurrence of an accident does not imply defectiveness.

Additionally, their failure to warn claim was insufficient as they could not identify the defect that would necessitate such a warning. The court also noted that the Stegalls could not identify the specific hopper car involved in the incident, which hindered their ability to substantiate their negligence claims. Thus, the appellate court affirmed the district court's judgment, concluding there was no genuine issue of material fact warranting a trial. The ruling is not binding precedent except under specific legal doctrines and is subject to citation under the court's General Order from November 29, 1993.