Del. Court Awards Summary Judgment to AT&T in Asbestos Case, Says Defendant Didn’t Increase Risk of Harm to Decedent

WILMINGTON, Del. –– A Delaware court has awarded summary judgment to AT&T in an asbestos exposure action, saying the defendant could not be held liable as the parent corporation of the decedent’s employer, since the employer controlled and was responsible for the workplace safety of its employees.

In the Aug. 31 opinion, the Delaware Superior Court said that there was no evidence that AT&T controlled the daily operations of the plant in question.

“To the contrary,” the court opined, “even plaintiff’s witnesses, [the decedent’s] co-workers, testified that WECO was responsible for the safety program and managed the safety of its …