Calif. Court Affirms $6.5 Million Asbestos Verdict, Rejects Efforts to Include Setoffs for Future Bankruptcy Trust Claims

LOS ANGELES –– A California appellate court has affirmed a more than $6.5 million asbestos verdict, in part rejecting defendant Crane Co.’s contention that, when calculating the final judgment, the trial court should have allocated for future setoffs the plaintiffs may obtain through asbestos bankruptcy trusts.

In the Feb. 21 opinion, the California Second District Court of Appeal also opined that the plaintiffs had presented enough evidence to support their claim that the decedent was exposed to asbestos in Crane Co.’s gasket material.

The plaintiffs asserted the claims on behalf of William Paulus, whose work as a commercial plumber …