Fassett v. Sears Holdings Corp.
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
319 F.R.D. 143 (2017)
Daniel Fassett (plaintiff) was badly burned when gasoline sprayed onto him from his lawnmower's fuel tank after he loosened the cap to relieve pressure. Fassett sued the mower's manufacturer, Sears Holdings Corp. (defendant), for products liability. In discovery, the two sides fought over how far Fassett could reach: Sears argued he could only discover information about the exact gas-cap design used on his own mower. Fassett's expert testified that other cap designs were functionally interchangeable with, and could be safety-tested the same way as, the cap that caused his injury.
Whether, in a products-liability suit, material about alternative designs or components sharing significant similarities with the part at issue is discoverable.