Pump Makers Have No Duty to Warn of Asbestos-Containing Replacement Parts, Md. Court Holds

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland Court of Special Appeals has reaffirmed its position that defendants cannot be held liable for failing to warn of hazards associated with asbestos-containing replacement parts that they didn’t manufacture, but were incorporated into their products.

In an Oct. 3 opinion, the court ruled that its 1998 decision in Ford Motor Co. v. Wood, along with the multitude of similar decisions from courts outside of Maryland, are controlling, and that even the forseeability of harm that could result from exposure to asbestos from replacement parts is insufficient to impose a duty on the pump manufacturers.

The …