Sears, Roebuck and Co. v. Midcap

A gas leak in a stove connection caused a fatal explosion; the Midcaps (plaintiffs) sued Sears (defendant, the stove seller) and Southern States (defendant, the gas supplier) for wrongful death, arguing Southern States had a duty to check gas connections under the voluntary, non-mandatory "GAS Check" inspection program that different suppliers implemented in inconsistent ways; the trial court allowed testimony describing the program but barred an expert from testifying it constituted the industry standard of care, and the jury found against Sears but not Southern States.