Calif. Court Reverses Plaintiff Verdict, Cites Taylor

LOS ANGELES -- A California appellate court has reversed a multi-million dollar verdict, ruling that the defendant against which the verdict was entered did not have a duty to warn the plaintiff of hazards associated with products it did not manufacture, supply or distribute. Merrill, et al. v. Leslie Controls Inc., et al., No. B200006 (Calif. Ct. App., 2nd Dist., Div. 3).

In the Nov. 17 opinion, the Second District Court of Appeal said that under Taylor, Leslie Controls could not be held liable because the plaintiffs had not proven that Leslie Controls supplied the asbestos-containing materials contained in its …