Calif. Court Sides with Former Asbestos Defendant in Declaratory Action

LOS ANGELES -- A California appellate court has affirmed a trial court ruling that precluded an insurer from presenting evidence that its umbrella policies had been exhausted by underlying asbestos claims. Stonewall Insurance Co., v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, No. B223251 (Calif. 2nd App. Dist. Ct. App., Div. 2).

In the Nov. 1 opinion, the California 2nd District Court of Appeal found that the trial court had correctly concluded that the asbestos defendant's umbrella policies were exhausted by the primary insurers' settlements.

Fuller-Austin Co., a company that installed and removed asbestos-containing building materials, filed for bankruptcy in …