At the time of the accident, the plaintiff, who was a mechanic for Broad Elm Tire, was adjusting the carburetor on a Cadillac manufactured by General Motors. While the engine was running, a portion of the engine fan blade broke off and struck plaintiff in his right arm near the shoulder. The engine fan blade was manufactured by Canadian Fram, now part of Siemens. The injury ultimately led to the amputation of plaintiff's right arm.

The engine fan blade is of a type known as a flex fan, which was commonly used on automobiles in the 1970's and 1980's. The design permitted the fan blades to flex as engine speed changed. The purpose was to promote fuel efficiency, but the constant flexing of the fan blades made the fan assembly susceptible to metal fatigue. This design flaw has lead to the unanticipated failure of the fan assembly with catastrophic results. Since the flex fan assembly was introduced, over fifty persons have been seriously injured from failed blade assemblies.

The Beltz firm argued that both General Motors and Siemens were aware of numerous prior accidents involving serious injuries from automobiles equipped with similar flex fans and failed to warn or otherwise protect workers, such as plaintiff, from such risks. Prior to trial, GM and Siemens agreed to a settlement of $4.6 million.