Artiglio

In this case the supplier of silicone used in manufacturing breast implants contends that it cannot be held liable in negligence for failing to disclose to its customers information about the potential dangers posed by use of silicone in medical devices. The supplier, defendant and respondent General Electric Company (GE), argues that because it supplied silicone materials which are used in a number of other products, because the silicone materials it provided were subject to further processing by the actual manufacturers of breast implants and because the implant manufacturers themselves had the ability to determine the suitability and safety of the implants, it owed no duty of care to the eventual recipients of the silicone breast implants. The trial court agreed with GE and granted its motions for summary judgment. We affirm.

Factual and Procedural Background

Plaintiffs on this appeal are women who received silicone breast implants manufactured by McGhan Medical Corporation (McGhan). GE was the manufacturer of silicone products and it supplied McGhan with the silicone compounds the manufacturer used in producing their breast implants.

In particular, GE supplied…