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Herman v. Cattron, Inc.

Citation: 94 F. App'x 274Docket: No. 02-4388

Court: Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; April 2, 2004; Federal Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

This case involves a wrongful death lawsuit initiated by the father of a decedent who died in an accident while using a remote-controlled locomotive. The defendants include the employer, the remote control manufacturer, and the locomotive supplier. The plaintiff asserted liability based on alleged defects and inadequate warnings related to the products, claiming these were proximate causes of the accident. The district court, applying Ohio law, identified three possible causes of the accident, only one of which could impose liability on the defendants. Due to the plaintiff's failure to provide evidence excluding the non-liable causes, the court granted summary judgment to the defendants. On appeal, the appellate court reviewed the case and affirmed the district court's ruling, finding no error in its decision and agreeing with the reasoning presented. The decision concluded with the appellate court upholding the summary judgment in favor of the defendants, absolving them of liability in the wrongful death claim.

Legal Issues Addressed

Appellate Review Standard

Application: The appellate court affirmed the district court's decision, finding no error in the ruling based on the district court's reasoning.

Reasoning: After reviewing the case and the arguments presented, the appellate court found no error in the district court's decision and affirmed the judgment without a need for a detailed opinion.

Summary Judgment under Ohio Law

Application: The court granted summary judgment to the defendants due to the plaintiff's failure to eliminate non-liable causes of the accident.

Reasoning: The court ruled that the plaintiff failed to produce evidence excluding the non-liable causes, leading to a summary judgment in favor of the defendants.

Wrongful Death and Product Liability

Application: The case involves a wrongful death claim based on alleged defective products and failure to warn by the defendants.

Reasoning: The plaintiff alleged that these parties were liable due to defective products and failure to warn, claiming these were proximate causes of Corbin's death.