Calif. Appellate Court Rejects Attempts by Asbestos Plaintiffs to Apportion More Liability to John Crane

LOS ANGELES –– A California appellate court has rejected an appeal filed by asbestos plaintiffs contesting the amount of liability assessed to John Crane at the conclusion of a mesothelioma trial, concluding that the evidence supported the jury’s allocation of liability, even if the majority of it was assessed to the U.S. Navy.

In the July 24 opinion, the California 2nd District Court of Appeal denied the plaintiffs’ attempts to cross-appeal a verdict in their favor, noting that the plaintiff himself testified that he had “major” asbestos exposure during his service.

“The jury … was instructed to apportion liability to …