Court Finds No Breach of Duty Where Employer Foresaw Hazards

SALEM, Ore. - Ship repair technicians cannot charge ship owners with breaching a duty owed the workers concerning asbestos exposure if the workers' employers were aware or should have been aware of the potential harm of asbestos on the ships, Oregon's Court of Appeals has ruled. Buck v. ACandS Inc., et al., No. A126553; Dellwo v. ACandS Inc., et al., No. A126554; Dillman v. ACandS Inc., et al., No. A126555; Hess v. ACandS Inc., et al., No. A126556 (Ore. Ct. App.).

In a March 14 opinion affirming summary judgment for three ship owners on plaintiffs' claims under the Longshore and …