Judge: Widow Can Pursue Failure-to-Warn Claim Against Manufacturer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A Rhode Island judge has denied a pump manufacturer's motion for summary judgement in a workplace exposure suit, finding a triable issue of fact concerning the defendant's duty to warn of possible dangers related to the maintenance of its asbestos-containing pumps. Lindquist v. Buffalo Pumps Inc., et al., No. PC 06-2416 (R.I. Super. Ct., Providence Cty.).

In a Nov. 28 decision, Associate Justice Alice Bridget Gibney of the Providence County Superior Court cited evidence that Buffalo Pumps Inc. knew that its pumps included asbestos packing and gaskets, and that these components would need to be replaced over …