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Torts Keyed to Miller
Skinner v. Square D. Co.
Citation:
445 Mich. 153, 516 N.W.2d 475 (1994)Facts
Skinner (Plaintiff) constructed a tumbling machine that was controlled by a switch, which contained alligator clips. To operate the machine, there was a specific procedure one manually needed to perform by rotating the direction of the drums, disconnecting two of the alligator clips, and reversing them. Once the procedure was done properly, the machine would rotate or make a noise. One day, Skinner was working alone when he called out, causing his wife and two other women next door to be alarmed. The women found Skinner on the floor with an alligator clip and with current flowing in him. Skinner died soon after. Skinner’s estate sued the company Skinner worked for, Square D. Co. (Defendant), for negligence. The plaintiffs argued that the switch was defective because it did not always clearly indicate whether it was on or off. The defendant argued that the plaintiffs did not meet their burden in establishing that the defect was the cause of Skinner’s death.
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