Fla. Jury Reaches Defense Verdict for CertainTeed in Asbestos Case

SEBRING, Fla. –– A Florida state court jury has reached a defense verdict in favor of CertainTeed, rejecting the plaintiffs’ claims that the decedent’s mesothelioma was caused by his exposure to asbestos in the defendant’s pipe products.

The Florida 10th Judicial Circuit Court jury reached the verdict on July 7 after approximately an hour-and-a-half of deliberations, sources said. Judge Peter F. Estrada presided over the trial, which began on June 20.

CertainTeed had maintained during trial that the decedent was not exposed to its pipes, sources added.

Plaintiffs Leonard Smith III and his wife, Sabrina, originally filed the personal injury …