Zamora v. Mobil Corp.

An undetected propane leak at the Zamora (plaintiff) home caused a fire that killed five of Zamora's children; the propane was defective because it lacked enough odorant. Mobil manufactured the propane and sold it to Cal Gas (defendant), a distributor, which sold it to Northwest Propane, which sold it to Zamora. Cal Gas never physically handled or controlled the propane-its involvement existed only on paper. Zamora sued Cal Gas on both negligence and strict-liability theories, and the trial court granted Cal Gas summary judgment on both. Zamora appealed.

Whether a seller that received a sealed product from a reputable manufacturer and had no opportunity to inspect it can be liable in negligence for failing to test it, and whether strict liability applies to a seller in the distribution chain that never handled or controlled the product.