Jessop v. ACF Industries LLC

66 Pa. D. & C.4th 523, 2004 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 249
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedMarch 17, 2004
Docketno. 2154
StatusPublished

This text of 66 Pa. D. & C.4th 523 (Jessop v. ACF Industries LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jessop v. ACF Industries LLC, 66 Pa. D. & C.4th 523, 2004 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 249 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2004).

Opinion

ACKERMAN, J.,

— Defendant, ACF Industries LLC, filed the instant motion to dismiss based on forum non conveniens pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. §5322(e) on October 6, 2003.

This case is one of the asbestos mass tort litigation cases currently coordinated in the Complex Litigation Center of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. It has been brought on behalf of Janet F. Jessop, administratrix of the estate of Harold W. Jessop, deceased, and Janet F. Jessop, widow, in her own right, who is a resident and a citizen of the state of Kansas. (See complaint — civil action asbestos, ¶1.)

The complaint was filed on November 20, 2001 and avers in material part as follows:

“(1) • • • The decedent who was exposed to asbestos was Harold W. Jessop, who died on March 16, 2001....

“(3) Plaintiff Harold W. Jessop’s only dependent was his wife, Janet Jessop... .

“(6) Plaintiff’s work history is as follows:

“(a) from 01/01/1956 to 01/01/1972 — Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway as an electrician.

“(7) Plaintiff was exposed to asbestos at all sites set forth supra. ...

“(10)(a) ACF Industries is the successor in interest to American Car and Foundry. At all times material, American Car and Foundry manufactured and distributed railroad cars insulated with asbestos. Release of asbestos dust from the American Car and Foundry products caused the injuries complained of herein....

[526]*526“(14) During the course of his employment at the worksites noted in paragraph 6 supra, plaintiff believes and therefore avers that the decedent was exposed to asbestos fiber or asbestos products manufactured, sold, distributed, or otherwise placed into the stream of commerce by the defendants. The term asbestos products as used herein includes asbestos-containing products such as boilers and engines and furnaces and turbines. The term asbestos-containing as used herein means products sold with asbestos or products whose designers, manufacturers and fabricators knew, should or could have known, that it would be insulated or could be insulated with asbestos... .

“(16) Plaintiff’s deceased, Harold W. Jessop, was diagnosed as having contracted mesothelioma as a result of his asbestos exposure by Dr. David Hohertz M.D. on or about November 23, 1999.”

Plaintiff-decedent’s entire 16-year work history has been outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and solely in the state of Kansas.

Plaintiff-decedent was diagnosed with an alleged asbestos-related disease by Dr. David Hohertz, a Kansas doctor.

Depositions of the relevant witnesses that plaintiff disclosed were not completed when the motion to dismiss was filed.

Defendant asserted that Kansas is an alternative forum available to the plaintiff.

Stipulations have been filed by the moving defendant and every remaining defendant in this case, providing as follows:

[527]*527(1) Defendant consents to the transfer of this action and submits to the jurisdiction of the State Court of Topeka, Kansas, Shawnee County District Court;

(2) Defendant agrees to accept service upon transfer of this action to the State Court of Topeka, Kansas, Shawnee County District Court;

(3) Defendant agrees to waive the statute of limitations defense, to the extent that this defense exists in Kansas.

Defendant asserts that throughout the course of discovery, so far completed, they have been required to travel to Kansas at great expense.

Plaintiff resides and is domiciled in Kansas. Defendant asserts that all pertinent events occurred outside of Pennsylvania. All known and additional witnesses likely reside outside of Pennsylvania. The public interest in efficient judicial administration strongly favors dismissing this action currently filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas and permitting plaintiff, if so desired, to re-file the action in Kansas. Philadelphia has no connections with the allegations plaintiff has put forth in this action. Simply put, there is no relationship between the facts of this case and Philadelphia County. Plaintiff has no connection to Philadelphia County whatsoever. Accordingly, neither Pennsylvania nor Philadelphia citizens should be forced to expend time and tax dollars on a controversy that does not even have tangential contacts with Pennsylvania, let alone Philadelphia County.

The court notes that counsel for all parties agreed upon the orders, procedures and practices that govern the ex[528]*528change of discovery in asbestos cases and no objection was filed by either party in this case to orders issued pursuant to those understandings of all parties. By order of this court, dated August 26, 2002 (a copy of which is attached hereto), this court announced that all product identification and answers to interrogatories are not due until just 90 days prior to jury selection. Further, pursuant to the court’s directive, all depositions of plaintiff and co-workers, must be completed no later than 30 days prior to jury selection. As defendant correctly points out, the information needed to properly support the elements of this petition to dismiss for forum non conveniens only became available six days before the filing of the motion to dismiss on October 6, 2003. Plaintiff’s product identification witness, Vincent Schmidtlein, was only recently deposed in Topeka, Kansas on September 22, 2003. Mr. Yencho’s testimony was not completed until September 30, 2003. Mr. Schmidtlein testified that he only knew Mr. Jessop to have worked in the Topeka, Kansas rail yard of Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railways. (See exhibit “B” at p. 124.)

In this case, the court notes that Kansas law would most likely apply.

Defendant’s counsel, John C. McMeekin II, Esquire filed a detailed affidavit (attached to motion to dismiss) covering the foregoing facts, and in material part setting forth:

(1) The instant matter involves decedent Harold Jessop’s alleged exposure to asbestos while working as an electrician for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (ATSF) Railroad from 1956 to 1972.

(2) It is alleged that decedent was diagnosed with mesothelioma on November 23, 1999.

[529]*529(3) Harold Jessop commenced an action for compensation for his alleged asbestos-related condition against the successor to ATSF, Burlington Northern, Santa Fe Railroad under FELA.

(4) Mr. Jessop’s FELA case was filed in Jackson County, Missouri.

(5) Decedent died on March 16, 2001 in Topeka, KS....

(11) Plaintiff’s only alleged exposure to asbestos occurred while he was employed at the ATSF Topeka rail yard located in Topeka, KS....

(13) Plaintiff has identified numerous product identification witnesses who have critical information concerning decedent’s alleged exposure to asbestos.

(14) Each of these product identification witnesses is represented by counsel, John Roven, in asbestos litigation against their employer, ATSF, or its successor, BNSF.

(15) Two of those witnesses, Vincent Schmidtlein and Donald Anders, have been deposed and both testified that decedent’s only alleged exposure to asbestos was while Mr. Jessop was employed to the ATSF Topeka, KS rail yard as an electrician.

(16) The depositions of Mr. Schmidtlein and Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
66 Pa. D. & C.4th 523, 2004 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jessop-v-acf-industries-llc-pactcomplphilad-2004.