Company Can File Subrogation Claims, But Only for Paid Asbestos Benefits

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a company that once used chrysotile asbestos in its production of ceiling tiles can file subrogation claims against the company that made the fiber, but only on behalf of identified employees with compensable injuries and those to whom the company has a present duty to pay workers' comp benefits. Conwed Corp. v. Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Co., Inc., No. CX-00-2200 (Minn. Sup. Ct.)

In an Oct. 4 ruling that was sharply criticized by a dissenting justice, the court also said the claims must be analyzed on a case-by-case …