Court Upholds Reversal of $3 Million Premises Verdict; Orders New Trial

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Supreme Court has upheld the reversal of a $3 million asbestos verdict in a case brought by an independent contractor who sued the owner of an oil refinery for failing to warn him of hazards associated with asbestos dust created by insulation work at the premises. Kinsman, et al. v. Unocal Corp., No. S118561 (Calif. Sup. Ct.).

In a Dec. 19 opinion that examines the series of premises liability cases handed down in recent years by California courts, the high court said a new trial in the case brought by plaintiff Ray Kinsman is necessary …