Calif. Jury Reaches Defense Verdict in Friction Product Asbestos Case; Finds for Hertz, Belnortel

SAN FRANCISCO –– A California jury has reached a defense verdict for Hertz Corp. and Belnortel Corp. in a case brought by a former service station and repair garage owner, rejecting claims that exposure to asbestos-containing friction products caused the plaintiff’s mesothelioma.

The California Superior Court for San Francisco County jury reached the verdict on July 30. Judge Richard B. Ulmer Jr. presided over the three-and-a-half week trial.

Belnortel Corp., and Hertz Corp., were the lone remaining defendants at the time of the verdict, sources said.

The plaintiffs alleged in their lawsuit that Harold Koepke developed mesothelioma after he …