Tenn. Supreme Court Remands Asbestos, Diesel Exhaust Exposure Suit for Trial on Damages Only

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –– The Tennessee Supreme Court has instructed a trial court to hold a new trial in an asbestos and diesel exhaust fume exposure suit on the issue of damages only, agreeing with an intermediate appellate court that the trial court judge improperly instructed the jury on contributory fault after the verdict was reached.

In the July 1 opinion, the high court did affirm the other appellate court findings, including that an order granting the defendant’s motion for a new trial was erroneous, since the cited errors were “so insubstantial that they did not warrant a new trial as …