Owens v. Bourns Inc‪.‬

WINTER, Chief Judge: This tragic case involves a claim by plaintiffs Joshua Owens and his parents alleging that Joshua Owens' blindness was caused by the defective design of defendant's infant ventilator equipment. The district court denied defendant's motion for a directed verdict, and a jury awarded plaintiffs a judgment of $1,500,000. Defendant, Bourns, Inc., manufacturer of the ventilator equipment, appeals from the district court's denial of its post-trial motions for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict or for a new trial.1 Because we conclude that plaintiffs' evidence of causation was legally insufficient to permit a jury to decide the issue of liability, we reverse and direct the entry of judgment for defendant.