Sanchez v. Hitachi Koki, Co., Ltd

In Sanchez v. Hitachi Koki, Co., Ltd. (2013) 217 Cal.App.4th 948, a worker, disregarding express warnings to the contrary, inserted a saw blade into a power grinder, and suffered injury from the saw blade while using the grinder. (Sanchez v. Hitachi Koki, Co., Ltd., supra, 217 Cal.App.4th at pp. 950-951.) He asserted products liability claims against the grinder's manufacturer, which sought summary judgment under O'Neil v. Crane Co. (2012) on the ground that it neither made nor sold the blade, and that the grinder was never intended to be used with a saw blade. (Id. at p. 952.) In affirming the grant of summary judgment, this court concluded that O'Neil barred imposition of liability on the manufacturer for the worker's conceded misuse of its product. (Id. at pp. 954-959.) The Court noted that "Plaintiffs' own expert opined that the grinder was not intended to be used with a saw blade, and the manual warned that use of a saw blade was 'dangerous and may cause personal injury or property damage.'" (Id. at p. 957.)