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Gifaldi v. Dumont Co., Inc.

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department
Apr 26, 1991
172 A.D.2d 1025 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)

Opinion

April 26, 1991

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Erie County, Mintz, J.

Present — Dillon, P.J., Callahan, Denman, Green and Pine, JJ.


Judgment unanimously affirmed without costs. Memorandum: The court properly dismissed the action against the moving defendants, the suppliers of the component chemicals incorporated into the allegedly defective polyurethane foam insulation in plaintiffs' building. The negligence and products liability claims fail to state a cause of action because the amended complaint does not allege that the component chemicals were unreasonably dangerous at the time they left the hands of the defendants. The allegations of defectiveness are directed exclusively to the polyurethane foam insulation. Absent specific allegations that the components were defective or that the manufacturers knew that their products would be combined to form a dangerous or defective product, the defectiveness of the finished product cannot be imputed to the manufacturers of the components.

Additionally, plaintiffs' negligence and products liability claims fail to state a cause of action because plaintiffs did not identify which entities manufactured the chemicals incorporated into the foam insulation installed in plaintiffs' building. Generally, identification of the exact defendant whose product allegedly damaged the plaintiff is an essential element of a products liability action (Hymowitz v. Lilly Co., 73 N.Y.2d 487, 504). The rule is the same with respect to negligence claims (see generally, 79 N.Y. Jur 2d, Negligence, § 10, at 319). Plaintiffs' inability to identify the proper defendants is not rectified by their attempt to plead theories of alternative liability or concerted action (see, Hymowitz v. Lilly Co., supra, at 505-509).

The court properly dismissed plaintiffs' statutory claim. Defendants' alleged violation of the reporting requirement of 15 U.S.C. § 2064 (b) does not give rise to a private right of action (see, Kloepfer v. Honda Motor Co., 898 F.2d 1452, 1457; Drake v Honeywell, Inc., 797 F.2d 603, 604-607).

The court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion to renew. Although plaintiffs presented some new facts in support of that motion, there was no showing that those facts were unknown and undiscoverable at the time of the prior motion. Moreover, to the extent that the court's order denied plaintiffs' motion to reargue all issues in the case, that order is not appealable.

Finally, we note that an order denying a motion to resettle a substantive portion of a previous order is not appealable (see, Tidball v. Tidball, 108 A.D.2d 957, 958). Thus, that appeal must be dismissed.


Summaries of

Gifaldi v. Dumont Co., Inc.

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department
Apr 26, 1991
172 A.D.2d 1025 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
Case details for

Gifaldi v. Dumont Co., Inc.

Case Details

Full title:CARL GIFALDI et al., Appellants, v. DUMONT CO., INC., Doing Business as…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department

Date published: Apr 26, 1991

Citations

172 A.D.2d 1025 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
569 N.Y.S.2d 284

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