Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181 (10th Cir. 1995). · Go Syfert
Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181 (10th Cir. 1995). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
Quick Summary

An appellate court decision establishes the law of the case and must be followed by the trial court on remand and by the appellate court in subsequent appeals.

Plaintiffs filed a products liability and negligence action alleging that asbestos exposure from a defendant's products caused a relative's death. Following a prior appeal where the appellate court vacated a jury verdict, the district court granted summary judgment for the defendant. Plaintiffs argued that the appellate court's previous findings regarding foreseeability and duty were merely dicta and should not govern the remanded proceedings. The court held that when a case is appealed and remanded, the appellate decision establishes the law of the case and must be followed by the trial court. Because the plaintiffs failed to produce new evidence to overcome the prior appellate rulings, summary judgment was appropriate.

187 citation events (138 in the last 25 years) across 19 distinct courts.
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At page 1183 Establishing law of the case upon appellate remand66 citing cases“when a case is appealed and remanded, the decision of the appellate court establishes the law of the case and ordinarily will be followed by both the trial court on remand and the appellate court in any subsequent appeal.”16 citing courts quote it · 62 listed here
  • Dean v. United States, No. 1:22-cv-00179 (D.N.M. Mar. 29, 2024).
    (Summary judgment is appropriate if the non-moving party cannot adduce probative evidence on an element of its claim upon which it bears the burden of proof.)
  • Rife v. Jefferson, No. 17-7037 (10th Cir. Aug. 2, 2018).unpublished 4 cites
    ([W]hen a case is appealed and remanded, the decision of the appellate court establishes the law of the case and ordinarily will be followed by both the trial court on remand and the appellate court in any subsequent ap…)
  • United States v. Zander, No. 18-4012 (10th Cir. Mar. 7, 2018).unpublished
    ([W]hen a case is appealed and remanded, the decision of the appellate court establishes the law of the case and ordinarily will be followed by both the trial court on remand and the appellate court in any subsequent ap…)
  • Garcia v. Escalante, 678 F. App'x 649 (10th Cir. 2017).unpublished
    ([W]hen a case is appealed and remanded, the decision of the appellate court establishes the law of the case and ordinarily will be followed by both the trial court on remand and the appellate court in any subsequent ap…)
  • Bronk v. Mountain States, No. 99-1236 (10th Cir. June 27, 2000).unpublished
    ([W]hen a case is appealed and remanded, the decision of the appellate court establishes the law of the case and ordinarily will be followed by both the trial court on remand and the appellate 16 court in any subsequent…)
  • Ali v. Lambert, 384 F. Supp. 3d 1321 (N.D. Okla. 2019).published
    ([W]hen a case is appealed and remanded, the decision of the appellate court establishes the law of the case and ordinarily will be followed by both the trial court on remand and the appellate court in any subsequent ap…)
  • Universitas Educ. v. Avon Capital, 124 F.4th 1231 (10th Cir. 2024).published
    So Avon and SDM’s motions to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction, filed before the mandate issued, were premature as well as meritless. 17 Appellate Case: 23-6125 Document: 111-1 Date Filed: 12/31/2024 Page: 18 trial court on remand and the a…
  • Aposhian v. Whitaker, No. 2:19-cv-00037 (D. Utah Sept. 29, 2023).
    Aposhian II and the Law-of-the-Case Doctrine As a general matter, “[t]he law of the case doctrine provides that once an appellate court decides an issue[,] the decision will be binding on all subsequent proceedings in the same case.” Mitch…
  • Hemp Recovery Co. v. Boyd, No. 22-01258 (Bankr. D. Colo. July 10, 2023).
    Servs., Inc., 490 Fed. Appx. 115, 117-118 (10th Cir. 2012) (unpublished) (“Summary judgment is appropriate if the non-moving party cannot adduce probative evidence on an element of its claim upon which it bears the burden of proof.”) (quot…
  • Harris v. City Cycle Sales, Inc., No. 2:21-cv-02264 (D. Kan. Apr. 13, 2022).
    Kan. 2019) (quoting Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181, 1183 (10th Cir. 1995)). 19 See, e.g., Fish v. Schwab, 957 F.3d 1105, 1139-40 (10th Cir. 2020); Mason, 948 F.2d at 1553 (stating that “the district court may reconsider an issue…
Show 52 more citing cases
At page 1184 Defining dicta and its relevance to legal propositions40 citing cases“dicta are 'statements and comments in an opinion concerning some rule of law or legal proposition not necessarily involved nor essential to determination of the case in hand.”13 citing courts quote it · 38 listed here
  • Lane, No. 1:25-cv-02479 (D. Colo. Aug. 10, 2026).
    “Dicta are ‘statements and comments in an opinion concerning some rule of law or legal proposition not necessarily involved nor essential to determination of the case in hand.’” In re Haberman, 347 B.R. 411, 416 (B.A.P. 10th Cir. 2006), af…
  • Cruz v. City of Deming, 687 F. Supp. 3d 1155 (D.N.M. 2023).published
    “Dicta are ‘statements and comments in an opinion concerning some rule of law or legal proposition not necessarily involved nor essential to determination of the case in hand”
  • Standing Akimbo v. United States, No. 21-1379 (10th Cir. Jan. 27, 2023).unpublished
    See United States v. Serawop, 505 F.3d 1112, 1122 (10th Cir. 2007); Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181, 1184 (10th Cir. 1995).
  • S-tek 1, LLC, No. 20-12241 (Bankr. D.N.M. Dec. 9, 2021).
    Kan. 2019) (dicta is the exception to the rule of stare decisis under which the bankruptcy court would otherwise be bound by Tenth Circuit decisions). “[D]icta are ‘statements and comments in an opinion concerning some rule of law or legal…
  • In re CCA Recordings 2255 Litig., No. 2:19-cv-02491 (D. Kan. Jan. 18, 2021).
    In that case, the Supreme Court discussed the separate grounding of the effective- assistance component of the right to counsel and the right to representation of counsel of 61 Thompson v. Weyerhaeuser Co., 582 F.3d 1125, 1129 (10th Cir. 2…
  • Scalia v. Wynnewood Refining, 978 F.3d 1175 (10th Cir. 2020).published
    Tuttle v. United States (In re Tuttle), 291 F.3d 1238, 1242 (10th Cir. 2002) (quoting Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181, 1184 (10th Cir. 1995)).
  • Stoedter v. Gates, 704 F. App'x 748 (10th Cir. 2017).unpublished
    (defining dicta as “statements and comments in an opinion concerning some rule of law or legal proposition not necessarily involved nor essential to determination of the case in hand.” (quoting Black’s Law Dictionary 454…)
  • Ting Xue v. Lynch, 846 F.3d 1099 (10th Cir. 2016).published 2 cites
    Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181, 1184 (10th Cir. 1995) (quoting Black’s Law Dictionary 454 (6th ed. 1990)).
  • Nat'l Fed'n of the Blind v. United Airlines Inc., 813 F.3d 718 (9th Cir. 2016).published 2 cites
    Sys. v. WorldCom, Inc., 368 F.3d 86 , 106 n.19 (2d Cir. 2004); DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. United States, 361 F.3d 1378, 1384 (Fed. Cir. 2004); Figg v. Schroeder, 312 F.3d 625 , 643 n.14 (4th Cir. 2002); PDV Midwest Ref., L.L.C. v. Armada Oil…
  • Lazzo v. Rose Hill Bank (In re Schupbach Investments, L.L.C.), 808 F.3d 1215 (10th Cir. 2015).published
    Our statement concerning the need to show extraordinary circumstances therefore was not dicta (i.e., a statement not necessarily involved or essential to the resolution of the appeal, see Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181, 1184 (10t…
Show 28 more citing cases
At page 1182 Reviewing summary judgment standard de novo22 citing cases“[s]ummary judgment is appropriate if the [opposing] party cannot adduce probative evidence on an element of its claim upon which it bears the burden of proof”1 citing court quotes it · 19 listed here
  • Dean v. United States, No. 1:22-cv-00179 (D.N.M. Mar. 29, 2024).
    Doc. 51; see Cardoso v. Calbone, 490 F.3d 1194, 1197 (10th Cir. 2007) (stating the plaintiff must “make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to [his] case in order to survive summary judgment”); Rohrbaugh…
  • Asvalo Real Est. v. Stack Real Est., No. 2:23-cv-00728 (D. Utah July 26, 2024).
    “[s]ummary judgment is appropriate if the [opposing] party cannot adduce probative evidence on an element of its claim upon which it bears the burden of proof”
  • Thompson v. TCI Prods. Co., 81 F. Supp. 3d 1257 (N.D. Okla. 2015).published 4 cites
    Rohrbaugh II, 53 F.3d at 1182.
  • Thomas v. U.S. Bureau of Prisons, 282 F. App'x 701 (10th Cir. 2008).unpublished
    Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181, 1182-83 (10th Cir.1995).
  • Alderfer v. Bd. of Trs., 261 F. App'x 147 (10th Cir. 2008).unpublished
    Rohrbaugh v. Celotex Corp., 53 F.3d 1181, 1182 (10th Cir.1995).
  • Hastings v. Barnes, 252 F. App'x 197 (10th Cir. 2007).unpublished 2 cites
    “We review a grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same legal standard used by the district court under *201 FecLR.Civ.P. 56(c)”
  • Comm. to Save the Rio Hondo v. Lucero, 102 F.3d 445 (10th Cir. 1996).published
  • Biodiversity Legal Found. v. Babbitt, 146 F.3d 1249 (10th Cir. 1998).published
  • O'Shea v. Welch, 101 F. App'x 800 (10th Cir. 2004).unpublished
  • Schwartz & Hays v. Hafen, 112 F. App'x 655 (10th Cir. 2004).unpublished
Show 9 more citing cases
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Susan ROHRBAUGH, Barbara Ann Clay, Debra Mae Ambler, individually and as Personal Representatives of the Heirs and Estate of Dorothy Mae Palmer
v.
The CELOTEX CORPORATION, and Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
No. 93-5277.
Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
May 3, 1995.
Published opinion
53 F.3d 1181
1995 WL 257261
1995 U.S. App. LEXIS 9936
Paul F. Donsbach (and Brent M. Rosen-thal of Baron & Budd, Dallas, TX, and Mark H. Iola and Randall L. Iola of Ungerman & Iola, Tulsa, OK, with him on the brief), for plaintiffs-appellants., Scott A. Law (Larry G. Cassil, Jr. with him on the brief) of Pierce, Couch, Hendrick-son, Baysinger & Green, Oklahoma City, OK, for defendant-appellee.
Barrett, Bright, Kelly.
Cited by 127 opinions  |  Published
1 passage pin-cited by 1 case
Citer courts: N.D. Oklahoma (1)
PAUL J. KELLY, Jr., Circuit Judge.

Plaintiffs-Appellants Rohrbaugh, Clay, and Ambler appeal the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Defendant-Appellee Owens-Corning Fiberglas (“OCF”). Our jurisdiction arises under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and we affirm.

Background

Plaintiffs filed a negligence and products liability action to recover for the alleged wrongful death of their mother, Dorothy Mae Palmer. Plaintiffs allege that Mrs. Palmer was exposed to asbestos dust when she washed the work clothes worn by her husband, this dust came from products manufactured by OCF, and the exposure caused Mrs. Palmer to develop mesothelioma, a tumor of the visceral or parietal pleura. Oklahoma law controls.

A jury awarded $450,000 to Plaintiffs for the death of Mrs. Palmer. On appeal, we vacated the judgment and remanded for further proceedings in conformance with the opinion. Rohrbaugh v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 965 F.2d 844 (10th Cir.1992) (“Rohrbaugh /”). Defendant OCF moved for summary judgment. Plaintiffs now appeal the grant of summary judgment, contending that the district court erred in applying the law of the case.

Discussion

We review a grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same legal standard used by the district court under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). James v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 21 F.3d 989, 997-98 (10th Cir.1994). Summary judgment should be granted if “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and ... the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). We consider the “factual record and reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the party opposing sum[*1183]mary judgment.” Blue Circle Cement, Inc. v. Board of County Comm’rs., 27 F.3d 1499, 1503 (10th Cir.1994). Summary judgment is appropriate if the non-moving party cannot adduce probative evidence on an element of its claim upon which it bears the burden of proof. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509-11, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323-27, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-55, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 585-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1355-56, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

The law of the case doctrine provides “ ‘[w]hen a court decides upon a rule of law, that decision should continue to govern the same issues in subsequent stages in the same case.’” Mason v. Texaco, Inc., 948 F.2d 1546, 1553 (10th Cir.1991) (quoting Arizona v. California, 460 U.S. 605, 618, 103 S.Ct. 1382, 1391, 75 L.Ed.2d 318 (1983)), cert. denied, 504 U.S. 910, 112 S.Ct. 1941, 118 L.Ed.2d 547 (1992). Thus when a case is appealed and remanded, the decision of the appellate court establishes the law of the ease and ordinarily will be followed by both the trial court on remand and the appellate court in any subsequent appeal. United States v. Monsisvais, 946 F.2d 114, 116 (10th Cir.1991) (citing IB J. Moore, J. Lucas & T. Currier, Moore’s Federal Practice ¶ 0.404[1], at 119 (2d ed. 1991)). This principle applies to all “issues previously decided, either explicitly or by necessary implication.” Guidry v. Sheet Metal Workers Int’l Ass’n, 10 F.3d 700, 705 (10th Cir.1993) (citations omitted), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 115 S.Ct. 1691, 131 L.Ed.2d 566 (1995).

Plaintiffs argue that they have not had the opportunity to litigate their case under the correct law. In order to maintain an action in manufacturer’s products liability, Plaintiffs must prove that the product was the cause of the injury, that the defect existed in the product at the time the product left the Defendant’s possession and control, and that the defect made the product unreasonably dangerous. Kirkland v. General Motors Corp., 521 P.2d 1353, 1363 (Okla.1974). The “unreasonably dangerous” prong of this test is not met here. Accordingly, summary judgment was appropriate. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323-27, 106 S.Ct. at 2552-55.

A product is unreasonably dangerous if it is “ ‘dangerous to an extent beyond that which would be contemplated by the ordinary consumer who purchases it, with the ordinary knowledge common to the community as to its characteristics.’” Kirkland, 521 P.2d at 1362-63 (quoting Restatement (Second) of Torts § 402A cmt. i (1965)). An ordinary consumer is defined under Oklahoma law as “one who would be foreseeably expected to purchase the product involved.” Woods v. Fruehauf Trailer Corp., 765 P.2d 770, 774 (Okla.1988). The failure of the manufacturer to properly warn the consumer of dangers associated with a product’s use may also cause the product to be considered unreasonably dangerous when it is known or should be known that hazards exist. McKee v. Moore, 648 P.2d 21, 23 (Okla.1982).

In Rohrbaugh I, however, we reviewed the trial evidence and held that the Defendant did not have a duty to warn Mrs. Palmer because she was “not a foreseeable purchaser or user of the product.” Rohrbaugh, 965 F.2d at 846. Subsequently on remand, in response to the motion for summary judgment, Plaintiffs failed to produce any additional evidence to create an issue of fact concerning the lack of foreseeability.

Additionally, in Rohrbaugh I we held that Plaintiffs had “produced no evidence that [Defendant] knew or should have known of the hazards associated with their produet[ ].” Id. at 847. Specifically, we found that based on the evidence before the jury, it was unknown at the time of exposure that the particular type of asbestos associated with Defendant’s product could cause mesothelioma. Id. Plaintiffs again failed to produce any additional evidence in response to the summary judgment motion to overcome the lack of evidence on the issue. Instead, Plaintiffs merely listed in summary fashion items of evidence previously admitted at trial. Aplt. App., doc. 4 at 6.

Further, because Mrs. Palmer was not a foreseeable consumer, the negligence claim cannot be maintained. The threshold[*1184] question in a negligence action is whether the defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff allegedly harmed. Wofford v. Eastern State Hosp., 795 P.2d 516, 518 (Okla.1990). The most important consideration in this determination is whether the plaintiff is foreseeably endangered by the defendant’s conduct. Id. at 519. Because of our holding in Rohrbaugh I that Mrs. Palmer was not a foreseeable purchaser or user of the product manufactured by OCF and that Defendants “could not have foreseen that Mrs. Palmer would be exposed to their products in the manner in which she was[,]” the threshold question of duty is not satisfied. Rohrbaugh, 965 F.2d at 846. In the absence of any additional evidence presented by Plaintiffs, we follow the law of Rohrbaugh I.

Plaintiffs argue, however, that the law of the case doctrine does not apply here because our holdings in Rohrbaugh I were dicta. Dicta are “statements and comments in an opinion concerning some rule of law or legal proposition not necessarily involved nor essential to determination of the case in hand.” Black’s Law Dictionary 454 (6th ed. 1990). To the contrary, the holdings at issue were essential to the determination of the first appeal because they provided the basis for declaring the jury instructions erroneous and vacating the judgment. Moreover, Plaintiffs have waived their right to challenge the correctness of the holdings in Rohrbaugh I by failing to seek review of that decision when they had the opportunity to do so. Capps v. Sullivan, 13 F.3d 350, 353 (10th Cir.1993) (citing Williamsburg Wax Museum, Inc. v. Historic Figures, Inc., 810 F.2d 243, 250 (D.C.Cir.1987)).

AFFIRMED.