A Cook County man filed suit against two manufacturers of products used to stripe parking lots, claiming negligence in a 2013 accidental explosion of equipment he was working with in a parking lot.
Thomas Franzen sued Trusco Manufacturing Co. and Airgas-North Central Inc. in Cook County Circuit Court on June 29, alleging professional negligence in the August 2013 incident.
The suit states that Trusco sold and delivered its “True Line” nitrogen-powered parking lot sprayer product to the plaintiff’s business on or about May 21, 2003; and that Airgas sold a pressure regulator to the plaintiff on or about Aug. 17, 2011, purportedly for use with the Trusco paint striper product.
According to the filing, the plaintiff claims the Airgas regulator allowed pressure to build up in a tank containing paint in early August 2013, and, when he used the sprayer on a job in early August in Chicago, the Trusco machine - with the Airgas regulator attached - exploded, allegedly spewing paint and debris onto Franzen’s body with great force.
The lawsuit alleges both defendants were negligent in failing to design and manufacture their products in such a way as to prevent the apparatus from exploding and in failing to provide adequate product warnings.
Averring product liability and negligence, the plaintiff claims personal and pecuniary damages. Seeking damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, he is represented by Robert N. Wadington & Associates in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 15-L-6617.