Calif. Court Reverses Summary Judgment Award for Subcontractor in Acid Waste Exposure Suit

SAN DIEGO –– A state appellate court has reversed an award of summary judgment to a subcontractor sued for installing cabinets over uncapped acid waste lines that allegedly exposed several University of California lab workers to toxic fumes.

In the March 24 opinion, the California 4th District Court of Appeal found that since the defendant had not presented evidence to support its argument that the plaintiffs failed to establish a breach of duty claim, the burden never shifted to the plaintiffs to present proof supporting the cause of action.

The underlying lawsuit was filed by six plaintiffs, all of …