Calif. Court Affirms Summary Judgment For Premise Defendant

SAN FRANCISCO -- A California Court of Appeal has affirmed an award of summary judgment to Chevron after finding that there was no evidence that the premise defendant controlled the work environment alleged to have caused the plaintiff's exposure to asbestos. Yeager, et al. v. Chevron, et al., No. A100996 (Calif. Ct. App., 1st Dist., Div. 2).

In a Sept. 8 opinion, the California 1st District Court of Appeal opined that the plaintiff's lack of specificity in discovery responses justified a shift of burden requiring the plaintiff, instead of Chevron, to prove that the defendant contributed to the alleged asbestos …