David, J.
Plaintiff was seriously injured after using a tool designed by the manufacturer. He alleges the tool was defective in its design and that the manufacturer failed to provide adequate warnings. The manufacturer argues, among other things, that plaintiff misused the tool by failing to follow its directions. Today we address whether such misuse serves as a complete defense for the manufacturer. We find that it does. Under the facts and circumstances of this case, plaintiff’s misuse is the cause of his injuries and could not have been reasonably expected by the manufacturer. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court.
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The IPLA provides three non-exclusive defenses to a products liability action: incurred risk (Ind. Code § 34-20-6-3); misuse of the product (Ind. Code § 34-20-6-4); and modification or alteration of the product (Ind. Code § 34-20-6-5). Additionally, comparative fault principles apply in products liability cases. (Ind. Code § 34-20-8-1). That is, the fault of the person harmed as well as the fault of all others who caused or contributed to the harm shall be compared by the trier of fact in accord with the comparative fault statutes. Ind. Code § 34-20-8-1(a). The term “fault” means an act or omission that is negligent, willful, wanton, reckless, or intentional toward the person or property of others and includes the “[u]nreasonable failure to avoid an injury or to mitigate damages.” Ind. Code § 34-6-2-45(a).
Johnson alleges that the Grinder’s instructions failed to warn him regarding the dangers of using the Grinder with a cut-off disc but without a safety guard, and that the Grinder was defective in its design because it was sold without a safety guard and no information on how to obtain or use a safety guard. Campbell Hausfeld has alleged all three defenses: incurred risk, misuse and alteration of the Grinder.
Today we address whether the affirmative defense of misuse serves as a complete bar to recovery in a products liability action in light of inclusion of comparative fault principles in the IPLA, a question this Court left open in Morgen v. Ford Motor Co., 797 N.E.2d 1146, 1148 n. 3 (Ind. 2003) (“At least two recent decisions have held that under Indiana products liability law, the defense of misuse is not a complete defense, but instead an element of comparative fault. . .The parties [ ] make no argument along these lines and we express no opinion on it.”) We hold that misuse is a complete defense, but it has to be proven. In this case, Johnson misused the Grinder in multiple ways that together could not be reasonably expected by Campbell Hausfeld and that misuse was the cause of his injuries. Thus, we affirm the trial court’s summary judgment order.
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Conclusion
We affirm the trial court’s grant of summary judgment for Campbell Hausfeld and we remand for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Rush, C.J., and Massa, Slaughter, and Goff, JJ., concur.