Klein v. Pyrodyne Corp.

Pyrodyne Corporation (defendant), operating a public fireworks display at a Washington state fairgrounds subject to regulations including a $1,000,000 liability insurance requirement, had a mortar misfire horizontally and explode near spectators, injuring Danny and Marion Klein (plaintiffs). Because the fireworks were destroyed in the explosion, there was no conclusive evidence of the misfire's cause; the Kleins sued for products liability and strict liability, Pyrodyne blamed manufacturer negligence, and the trial court rejected the products-liability theory but held Pyrodyne strictly liable without fault, prompting Pyrodyne's appeal.