Wash. Appellate Court Reverses Dismissal of Asbestos Case on Statute of Repose Grounds

TACOMA, Wash. –– A Washington appellate court has reversed the dismissal of asbestos claims asserted against two defendants, concluding that the underlying facts could support a conclusion that neither Washington’s nor Alaska’s statute of repose could bar the claims.

In the Aug. 9 opinion, the Washington Court of Appeals, Division II, found that the plaintiffs had established that there may not be a conflict of law between the two states.

The plaintiffs contended in their complaint that Larry Hoffman’s mesothelioma was caused by exposure to asbestos. Specifically, the plaintiffs said that Hoffman moved to Alaska in the 1950s after his …