High Court: Premises Owner Has Duty in Take-Home Asbestos Case

TRENTON, N.J. -- The New Jersey Supreme Court has affirmed that premises defendant ExxonMobil may in fact owe a duty to a woman exposed to asbestos allegedly brought home on her husband's work clothing. Olivo v. Owens-Illinois, et al., No. A-23-05 (N.J. Sup. Ct.).

In the April 24 opinion, the Supreme Court noted, however, that there were questions as to the extent of this duty. The high court remanded the case for the trial court to determine whether, as a premises defendant, ExxonMobil owed a duty to Anthony Olivo, a steamfitter who worked at an ExxonMobil facility. If it is …