California Court Refuses to Extend Component Parts Doctrine to Claims Against Silica Suppliers

LOS ANGELES — A California trial court erred when it applied the component parts doctrine to bar personal injury claims asserted by a former sandblaster who sued two companies that supplied silica to his employer, a state appeals court has ruled.

In a June 13 decision reversing the state superior court’s award of judgment in favor of the suppliers, the Second District Court of Appeal held that because the injuries were alleged to have been caused by the use of silica sand, rather than a finished product into which silica was incorporated, the component parts doctrine does not apply.

Plaintiff …