Calif. Appellate Court Affirms Summary Judgment for 2 Asbestos Defendant; Reverses Award for 2 Others

SACRAMENTO, Calif. –– A California appellate court has affirmed awards of summary judgment to CalPortland and Kaiser Gypsum in an asbestos case, but reversed similar awards to J-M Manufacturing and Formosa after finding that the plaintiff had presented sufficient evidence to support product identification.

In the July 1 opinion, the California 3rd District Court of Appeal additionally opined that J-M Manufacturing and Formosa were not protected by the sophisticated user defense since there is no evidence that the plaintiff received special training on the defendants’ Transite pipe.

The plaintiffs contended that Loren A. Collin’s mesothelioma was caused by exposure to …