[Download] "Brooks v. Beech Aircraft Corp." by New Mexico Supreme Court * Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Brooks v. Beech Aircraft Corp.
- Author : New Mexico Supreme Court
- Release Date : January 28, 1995
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 73 KB
Description
As personal representative of her deceased husband, Virginia Brooks brought a wrongful death action against Beech Aircraft Corporation in connection with a 1988 plane crash. In relevant part Brooks sued in negligence and strict liability for an alleged design defect, claiming that the absence of shoulder harnesses caused the death of Thomas Brooks. The trial court granted Beech Aircraft's motion for summary judgment and Brooks appeals pursuant to SCRA 1986, 12-102(A)(1) (Repl. Pamp. 1992) (warranty count sounding in contract). We hold that a design-defect claim may be brought in both negligence and strict liability, and we further hold that such claim may be proved without showing that the manufacturer has violated regulations, codes, or standards applicable to the 1968 plane that crashed. Finding disputed issues of material fact precluding summary judgment on the questions of negligence and unreasonable risk, we reverse and remand. Facts and proceedings. Thomas Brooks died on August 2, 1988, when the 1968 Beech Musketeer he was piloting crashed near Cimarron, New Mexico. Mr. Brooks bought his Musketeer used in 1984. Although his plane was equipped with lap belts, it was neither designed nor equipped with shoulder harnesses. When the Musketeer was designed, manufactured, and sold in 1968, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations did not require the installation of shoulder harnesses in ""general aviation"" aircraft such as the Musketeer. Further, no aircraft industry standard or guideline applicable at that time required the installation of such harnesses. The FAA did not adopt a regulation requiring the installation of shoulder harnesses in the front seats of general aviation aircraft until 1977, and this regulation applied only to planes manufactured after July 18, 1978. At no time did the FAA require manufacturers to install shoulder harnesses in older planes.