The plaintiff was a 22-year-old high school graduate. He had enlisted in the Navy and hoped to become a printer.
He was a passenger in an automobile which was struck in the rear by another vehicle, causing the gas tanks of both vehicles to explode. He suffered extensive third-degree burns and permanent disfigurement. His left hand was replaced with a mechanical claw. Even with extensive plastic surgery he will have grotesque features. At issue are the design and placement of both gas tanks and the construction of the gas tank walls.[32]