Home Depot Defeats Appeal in Wet/Dry Vac Burn Suit

Home Depot Inc. , Emerson Electric Co., and Emerson unit Ridge Tool Co. fended off an appeal by a contractor who was badly burned while using a Ridgid wet/dry vac to clean sanding residue from a polyurethaned floor.

The warnings on the vacuum cleaner and in its user’s manual adequately cautioned against using the product with combustible materials, a federal appeals court said March 18.

The plaintiff, a professional with 10 years of experience, also admitted to having read the warnings and was knowledgeable about the products’ risks and proper cleanup, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ...