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Products Liability Keyed Owen, 8th Ed.
Matthews v. Lawnlite Co.
Citation:
88 So. 2d 299 (1956)Facts
The plaintiff, Gerald G. Matthews, was examining furniture at Dean’s Tropical Furniture Shop in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 27, 1954, with the intention of making a purchase. While sitting in an aluminum lounge chair manufactured by the defendant Lawnlite Company, Matthews placed his right hand on the armrest of the chair. The third finger of his right hand extended over the front of the armrest and underneath it. Without warning, the moving parts of the chair completely severed his finger, which fell to the floor. The chair had been designed with concealed moving metal parts under the armrest that were essential to its function but presented a significant hazard to users. These dangerous components were not visible to users, and no warnings were provided about their presence.
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