Yuqi Zhao tried to unclog a floor drain in the kitchen of the restaurant where he worked. He used a drain cleaner called Carol’s Blue Lye that contained crystalline sodium hydroxide (the chemical name for lye). The product label said to wear eye protection, to put one tablespoon of lye directly into the drain, and to keep one’s face away from the drain because there could be dangerous backsplash. Without eye protection, Zhao mixed three tablespoons of the lye with water and poured that mixture down the drain while bending over it. Liquid splashed back into his face, causing injury. He brought a product liability suit based on design defect and inadequate warning. At trial, an expert for Zhao stated that the product was defective because it had a tendency to backsplash. Witnesses for the company testified that lye is the most effective chemical drain cleaner and that there is no way to create an effective drain cleaner with lye and eliminate the risk of backsplash. The company executives testified that this inability to eliminate backsplash was the reason for the warning label. The trial court agreed with the company witnesses and granted summary judgment to the manufacturer. Zhao appealed.