The Second Appellate District reversed a judgment. The court held that to state a viable claim for product liability based on allegedly toxic chemical exposure that caused the death of a worker, the plaintiffs did not need to identify at the pleading stage the specific toxin contained in each hazardous product to which the worker was exposed that was a substantial factor in causing his illness.
Carlos Jones (Carlos) worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and the Upjohn Company. Carlos worked with the chemical products of numerous manufacturers. Carlos died from diseases of the heart, liver, and kidneys that his wife, Ofelia Jones, and their surviving children (collectively, Jones) attributed to Carlos’ exposure to the chemical products with which he worked.
