Workers Can't Sue Supervisor for Alleged Asbestos Exposure

RALEIGH, N.C. - An industrial hygienist at a company where several employees claimed they were exposed to asbestos cannot be held accountable for asbestos-related damages where there is no evidence that the hygienist intended to inflict injury on his co-workers, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled. Baker, et al., v. Ivester, No. COA01-258 (N.C. Ct. App.).

In a decision issued May 21, the state appeals court upheld an award of summary judgment to C. Arthur Lee Ivester, an industrial hygienist hired by Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc. to oversee the company's management of asbestos and other workplace environmental hazards.

Ivester …