Trial Needed in Asbestos Suit To Determine Knowledge Level
The widow of a man who worked with asbestos insulation had the right to pursue her lawsuit against the owner of the plant in which her husband worked, even though her husband was employed by an independent contractor, a Pennsylvania court ruled.
In 1950 and 1951, the Koppers Co. had a plant in Kobuta, Pa., where it manufactured materials used to produce synthetic rubber. Koppers hired an independent contractor, Phillip Carey, to work on an expansion project that involved removing and replacing insulation on tanks and pipes. Both the old and new insulation contained asbestos. Fred Chenot, an employee of Phillip Carey, was exposed to asbestos particles while working at the Koppers plant and again in 1954 and 1955 when he worked at a powerplant.