Calif. Appeals Court Upholds Stay of Asbestos Exposure Case for Forum Non Conveniens

LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court has upheld the stay of an asbestos exposure case on the basis of forum non conveniens, ruling that because the exposure and medical treatment took place in Wisconsin, and the decedent was a resident of that state, that is where the action should have been filed.

In an April 30 opinion, the California Court of Appeal, 2nd District, found the Coordination Judge properly considered the private interests of the parties and the public interest in keeping the case in California. The appellate court agreed with the judge that California has little interest in …