Products Liability Law Reporter

DeWarren Harris, 25, was a temporary worker at the Summit Brewing warehouse in St. Paul, Minn. He used an industrial hose to spray hot water on the floor of the warehouse’s canning room, which was covered in excess beer at the end of the day. The spraying end of the hose had a Goodyear Insta-lock Type C cam lock connector, which connected two hoses and lacked a safety clip. As Harris was spraying water on the floor, the cam lock connector came completely undone, causing 180-degree water to spray onto his body. The hose caught on Harris’s belt, preventing him from moving away. He suffered third-degree burns to 40% of his body and was hospitalized for seven weeks.

Harris sued Campbell Fittings, Inc., which manufactured the connector, and ContiTech USA, which marketed and distributed the connector, alleging failure to warn of the risk of the cam lock’s locking rings snagging onto objects or inadvertently decoupling. The plaintiff also asserted there should have been a warning to use the cam lock assembly at a sufficient distance to prevent it from snagging on clothing.

The jury awarded over $35 million, and judgment was later entered for more than $46 million. The award includes $740,000 for Harris’s past medical expenses.

Citation: Harris v. Campbell Fittings, Inc., No. 62-CV-16-4613 (Minn. Dist. Ct. Ramsey Cnty. Oct. 10, 2022).

Plaintiff counsel: Daniel Cragg, Bruce Rivers, and Jared Reams, all of Minneapolis.