The appellate court found that even if the gas company had issued a warning, there was no evidence that the plumbers would have become aware of the warning. The court distinguished this case from those dealing with products such as cigarettes, where a warning can be placed directly on the product. In contrast, natural gas cannot be seen and has no packaging. The court found that the plaintiffs did not prove how the gas company could have delivered an effective warning. Examples offered at trial were a notice included in the customers’ bill or a posting on the company website. However, in these hypotheticals there is no evidence that the plumbers would have received the warnings. The court reasoned that even if there had been a warning there is no evidence that the accident would have been avoided. Therefore, it does not make sense that a lack of warning caused the plaintiffs’ injuries. The court ultimately held that recovery was precluded because the plaintiffs failed to establish that a timely warning issued by the gas company would have prevented the accident.
In conclusion, it is not enough to prove that the manufacturer knew of a dangerous condition and did not warn of it. A plaintiff must also prove that the lack of warning actually caused the harm.