Adamson v. General Electric

In an asbestos case, the appellants' other evidence, based on the decedent's depositions and the depositions of several alleged co-workers, was insufficiently specific to establish that the decedent was in proximity to an asbestos-containing product at the time that it was being used.

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

John H. Adamson contracted and died from mesothelioma, a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Prior to his death, he brought suit against numerous parties allegedly responsible for his contact with asbestos. After his death, his son John D. Adamson took over the litigation as the executor of the estate. At issue in this appeal is whether the trial court properly granted summary judgment to six of the defendants. The broad outline of the facts is not in dispute although the details are. The broad outline is that Adamson,1 who was born on October 25, 1925, worked as an electrician and an electrical crew supervisor for his entire 35-plus year career. From the early-1950s to 1967, he spent between 70 and 80 percent of his time at The National Test Reactor Station in Arco, Idaho known as “The Site” and the rest of the time at “a few jobs that I had back in around Pocatello and Idaho in a place called Soda Springs a Monsanto Phosphate Plant. I also worked on a phosphate plant run by FMC Corporation”; Adamson mentioned other jobs as well. At FMC, Adamson was employed by an electrical contractor —Bechtel Corporation —that had been hired by FMC. FMC admits that it supplemented its in-house electricians with electrical contractors from time to time.

From 1967 through his retirement, Adamson worked as a supervisor for an electrical contractor named EBASCO Services, which designed and built electrical power houses. During this time, he often worked in electric generating facilities. He stated several times that as a supervisor he did not do any hands-on work and that he had, at times, hundreds of electricians working for him. During this time, Adamson worked at many sites, and in his entire career, he worked at 18 or more job sites.

Adamson v. General Electric

In an asbestos case, the appellants' other evidence, based on the decedent's depositions and the depositions of several alleged co-workers, was insufficiently specific to establish that the decedent was in proximity to an asbestos-containing product at the time that it was being used.

Share with Email

Thank you for sharing!

Trending Stories

More From ALM

Subscribe to Daily Report