Station Owner Had No Duty to Warn Lessee of Asbestos-Related Brake Repair Dangers, Court Rules

SAN FRANCISCO - The owners of a Shell Oil gas station were not obligated to warn a mechanic who leased the facility about the dangers of asbestos dust he breathed while working on brake systems in the station's garage, a California appeals court has ruled. Doval, et al. v. Shell Oil Co., No. A092816 (Calif. App., First Div.).

In an unpublished opinion released March 20, the California Court of Appeal ruled that although Shell was well aware of the harm caused by asbestos when plaintiff Rolando Doval was allegedly exposed to the dust, the energy giant had no control over …