Southern California Edison Co. v. Harnischfeger Corp.

Plaintiff and appellant, Southern California Edison Company (Edison), seeks reversal of a summary judgment in a products liability action entered in favor of defendant and respondent, Harnischfeger Corporation (Harnischfeger). This appeal focuses on Edison’s underlying suit for damages resulting from an accident which occurred at its El Segundo generating plant on March 1, 1972. Plaintiff’s complaint included causes of action against Harnischfeger for strict products liability, negligence, and breach of implied warranties relating to a crane built, by this defendant for Edison. The question on appeal is whether these allegations present triable issues of fact.

The parties stipulated to the facts surrounding the industrial mishap on defendant’s motion for summary judgment below. Harnischfeger contracted to build a gantry crane for Edison nine years prior to the accident underlying this litigation. The crane was constructed for use at Edison’s generating station in El Segundo. On March 1, 1972, the load cable on the gantry crane broke, and a turbine rotor, weighing over 90 tons, dropped into a steam turbine below.

The wire rope load line broke at a point where it passes…