N.J. Appeals Court Reverses Ruling for Conrail, Remands Diesel Exposure Case for Trial

TRENTON, N.J. — The widow of a former Conrail worker who died from lung cancer after nearly four decades of exposure to diesel fumes has won reversal of a ruling that would have prevented the case from going to trial.

In an Aug. 11 opinion, the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division rejected a trial judge’s award of judgment to Conrail, determining that the plaintiff was not required to provide qualified expert testimony supporting her claim that Conrail owed — and subsequently breached —a duty of care to prevent his exposure to diesel fumes.

Harold Tanfield worked for Conrail …