Hoffman v. Simplot Association, Inc.
Idaho Supreme Court
97 Idaho 32, 539 P.2d 584 (1975)
- Written by Sharon Feldman, JD
Facts
Fred Hoffman (plaintiff) owned a vintage airplane. Simplot Aviation, Inc. (Simplot) (defendant) repaired the damage the plane’s landing gear sustained in an accident. A structural part failed during a subsequent flight, causing the airplane to crash. Hoffman sued Simplot on negligence, breach-of-express-warranty, breach-of-implied-warranty, and strict-liability theories, alleging that Simplot had returned the plane with a rusted bolt and the bolt’s failure caused the crash. The evidence established that Simplot’s employees had worked near the bolt while repairing the landing gear. The Simplot employees denied that the rust was visible and maintained that rust was not significant given the airplane’s age and condition. The jury found Hoffman and Simplot equally negligent, found against Hoffman on the strict-liability and express-warranty theories, and found for Hoffman on the breach-of-implied-warranty theory. Simplot appealed, arguing that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on Hoffman’s strict-liability and implied-warranty theories.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Shepard, J.)
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