Silica Plaintiff Can't Prove Respirator Defect Caused Injury, Defendant Says

JOPLIN, Mo. - A respirator manufacturer has moved for summary judgment in a Missouri silica case, claiming that the plaintiff's experts have failed to provide any information indicating that a defect in the company's product caused the plaintiff's alleged injuries. Vandenburg v. American Optical Corp., et al., No. 06-217 (W.D. Mo.).

ITW Finishing Inc. filed the motion Feb. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, claiming that allegations by Robert Vandenburg are devoid of any proof that the respirators were defectively designed or manufactured, or that inadequate instructions and warnings accompanied the product.

Vandenburg sued …