Myrlak v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

John Myrlak's (plaintiff) office chair collapsed after nearly two hours of sitting, injuring his back; his products-liability expert could not pinpoint the exact defect or state with certainty that a defect caused the collapse. Myrlak sued his employer, the Port Authority (defendant), and chair manufacturer Girsberger (defendant), and requested a res ipsa loquitur jury instruction on the manufacturing-defect claim, which the trial court denied; the jury found no defect proven, the appellate court reversed for failure to give the requested instruction, and Girsberger sought review by the New Jersey Supreme Court.