GREGORY F. BRENNAN, APPELLANT,
v.
DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, A MICHIGAN CORPORATION; GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; WOODBURY CHEMICAL COMPANY, A FLORIDA CORPORATION; SOUTHERN MILL CREEK PRODUCTS, CO., INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION; ATLANTIC FERTILIZER AND CHEMICAL CO., A FLORIDA CORPORATION; VAN WATERS & ROGERS INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION; AND CRUMMETT CHEMICAL, INC., A FLORIDA CORPORATION, APPELLEES
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Plaintiff sued chemical manufacturers for injuries from methyl bromide exposure, asserting negligence, breach of warranty, and strict liability. The trial court dismissed the complaint on preemption grounds under FIFRA. The appellate court reversed, holding that FIFRA preempts only failure-to-warn claims based on inadequate labeling, not other common law tort theories or breach of warranty claims.
FIFRA preempts only those common law claims that rely on a finding that the product's labeling or warnings were inadequate. FIFRA does not preempt breach of warranty claims arising from voluntary contractual commitments, or other tort claims not based on assertions of inadequate labeling and warnings.
[1] Federal law preempts state regulation of labeling and packaging of chemical products, but does not preempt common law tort litigation for injuries caused by the product o…
[2] A federal statute regulating product labeling does not preempt common law damage actions for injuries caused by the product, absent explicit statutory language to the con…
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“FIFRA regulates labeling of these products. Any separate state regulation of labeling or packaging would be prohibited. The issue here is whether FIFRA preempts all common law tort litigation for injuries caused by the chemical and the conduct of the defendants.”
Establishes the precise legal issue: whether FIFRA's labeling preemption extends to all tort claims or only those based on inadequate labeling.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceGregory Brennan sued manufacturers of methyl bromide for personal injuries. Brennan alleged the product was unreasonably dangerous and that the defend…
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PER CURIAM.
The appellant sued the manufacturers of a chemical. product, methyl bromide, for personal injuries, alleging negligence, breach of warranty and strict liability. We reverse the final order dismissing the complaint.
The plaintiff alleged failures or inadequacies with respect to the product and its dissemination as unreasonably dangerous; with respect to inadequacies in the instructions, testing, research, labeling, and warnings; and also as to information or advice given by a separate pamphlet concerning the product and its use.
The motion to dismiss was granted on the grounds that the appellant’s claim was preempted by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, hereafter called FIFRA. It is clear that FIFRA regulates labeling of these products. Any separate state regulation of labeling or packaging would be prohibited. The issue here is whether FIFRA preempts all common law tort litigation for injuries caused by the chemical and the conduct of the defendants.
Recently, the United States Supreme Court held that although the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act (PHCSA) of 1969 preempts state and federal rule-making bodies from mandating warnings on cigarette labels and advertisements, it does not preempt state common law damage actions. Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc., — U.S. —, 112 S.Ct. 2608, 120 L.Ed.2d 407 (1992). In Cipollone, — U.S. at —, 112 S.Ct. at 2611, the petitioner filed a complaint alleging that the respondents were responsible for the death of his mother since they (1) breached express warranties contained in their advertising, (2) failed to warn consumers about smoking’s hazards, (3) fraudulently misrepresented those hazards to consumers, and (4) conspired to deprive the public of information about smoking, in derogation of New Jersey law. Id. — U.S. at —, —, 112 S.Ct. at 2611, 2613-2614. The Supreme Court held that PHCSA only preempts certain of the failure to warn claims, and did not preempt the claims based on express warranty or conspiracy. — U.S. at — —, 112 S.Ct. at 2613-2614.
The Cipollone court narrowly construed PHSCA’s language, in light of the general presumption against preemption. Cipollone, — U.S. at —, 112 S.Ct. at 2612. There, the “failure to warn” claims asserted that respondents “were negligent in the manner that they tested, researched, sold, promoted, and advertised their cigarettes, and that they failed to provide adequate warnings of smoking’s consequences.” The plaintiff’s claims that additional or more clear warnings should have been given were held to be preempted. The claims that were based on unregulated areas were not preempted. — U.S. at —, 112 S.Ct. at 2622. For example, the express warranty claims were not preempted because a manufacturer’s liability from such breach arises out of the terms of the warranty, a voluntarily undertaken contractual commitment. Cipollone, — U.S. at —, 112 S.Ct. at 2612.
Here, the trial court relied on Papas v. Upjohn Co., 926 F. 2d 1019 (11th Cir.1991) in concluding that FIFRA preempted the plaintiff’s claims. However, following the issuing of Cipollone, Papas was vacated on the authority of Cipollone by Papas v. Zoecon Corp., — U.S. —, 112 S.Ct. 3020, 120 L.Ed.2d 892 (1992).
Here, as in Cipollone, the statute preempts appellant’s claims only to the extent they rely on a finding that the product’s labeling was inadequate. FIFRA does not preempt appellant's other claims. Also as in Cipollone, FIFRA does not preempt the breach of warranty claim, since it was a common law claim arising out of a voluntary contractual commitment. FIFRA only provides that a state shall not impose any requirements for labeling or packaging in addition to or different from the federal regulations. 7 U.S.C.A. § 136v. Therefore, we reverse and remand with instruction that the trial court allow appellant leave to amend appellant’s claims to the extent that they do not rely on assertions of inadequate labeling and warning.
LETTS, STONE and WARNER, JJ., concur.
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ISK Biotech Corp. v. Douberly, 640 So. 2d 85 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994)…States Supreme Court observed, an express warranty is something that is undertaken by the manufacturer and is not a requirement imposed by the state. Cipollone, 505 U.S. at-, 112 S.Ct. at 2622, 120 L.Ed.2d at 428. See also Brennan v. Dow Chem. Co., 613 So. 2d 131 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993) (FIFRA preempts state common law claims that rely on assertions of inadequate labeling and warnings, but not other claims, such as breach of warranty). Similarly, the Douberlys’ strict liability claim was in no way dependent upo…
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David v. Am. Suzuki Motor Corp., 629 F. Supp. 2d 1309 (S.D. Fla. 2009)…e alternative, to replace those vehicles with substantially similar vehicles of merchantable quality.” [Complaint, DE 1, p. 19]. Under Florida law, a written warranty is treated as a contract between buyer and seller, Brennan v. Dow Chem. Co., 613 So.2d 131, 132 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1993) (noting that a warranty is “a voluntary contractual commitment”), and therefore may, by its terms, limit the remedies available. 8 Council Bros., Inc. v. Ray Burner Co., 473 *1319 F.2d 400, 406 (5th Cir.19…
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Lohr v. Medtronic, Inc., 56 F.3d 1335 (11th Cir. 1995)…ee ISK Biotech Corp. v. Douberly, 640 So. 2d 85, 88-89 (Fla.App.1994) (preempting, under FIFRA, failure to warn claim but allowing strict liability claim "based solely on the product's defective condition” to proceed); Brennan v. Dow Chemical Co., 613 So. 2d 131, 132 (Fla.App.1993) (same).…
Authorities Cited
- Cipollone v. Liggett Grp., Inc., 505 U.S. 504 (U.S. 1992)
- Minas H. Papas v. The Upjohn Co., 926 F.2d 1019 (11th Cir. 1991)