Alameda County Favors Defendant In a Mesothelioma Trial

Introduction

An Alameda County Jury in California Superior Court has ruled in favor of Hennessy Industries LLC, a successor of AMMCO Tools Inc., dismissing allegations by a plaintiff that he developed mesothelioma due to the asbestos exposure while working on a brake arc grinder at AMMCO.

The trial began on July 2, presided over by Judge Brad Seligman, and the final verdict was announced on August 8, 2018. Though the jury agreed that asbestos exposure was the reason for the plaintiff's mesothelioma, they steered clear that AMMCO was not negligent in any manner. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff was exposed to asbestos while working in the United States Navy and also when he dealt with various friction products at Hennessy. He sued the company over risk-benefit, consumer expectation, and failure to warn claims arguing that the defendants knew or should have known about the dangers of the brake arc grinder. The California jury declined all of these strict liability claims against Hennessy Industries.

Asbestos exposure has reportedly caused mesothelioma, a deadly form of a tumor affecting the heart, lung, and stomach among many individuals at workplaces, and also through exposure to asbestos-laden talc found in talcum powder.

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