McKenzie v. S K Hand Tool Corp.
Illinois Appellate Court
650 N.E.2d 612 (1995)
- Written by Nicholas Decoster, JD
Facts
Ronnie McKenzie (plaintiff) used a ratchet wrench manufactured by S K Hand Tool Corporation (SKHT) (defendant) to loosen an engine bolt. While McKenzie was using the wrench, the wrench came apart, causing McKenzie to fall on the concrete floor and injure himself. McKenzie brought a manufacturing-defect claim against SKHT, arguing that SKHT was strictly liable for the injuries caused by the defective wrench. At trial, McKenzie offered expert-witness testimony that the wrench did not meet design specifications and was thus unreasonably dangerous. However, the trial court refused to submit the evidence to the jury. McKenzie also offered testimony from coworkers that the wrench had never been taken apart after purchase. The jury returned a verdict for SKHT. McKenzie appealed, arguing that the evidence of the wrench’s design specifications should have been admitted.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Goldenhersh, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 815,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.