Keene Corp. v. Belford

881 S.W.2d 608, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 2149, 1994 WL 459222
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 25, 1994
Docket13-92-548-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 881 S.W.2d 608 (Keene Corp. v. Belford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keene Corp. v. Belford, 881 S.W.2d 608, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 2149, 1994 WL 459222 (Tex. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

Opinion

FEDERICO G. HINOJOSA, Jr., Justice.

Keene Corporation (“Keene”) appeals from a judgment rendered against it after a jury found that appellee’s injuries were only caused by appellant. By a single point of error, appellant contends that this finding was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Robert C. Belford, Jr. (“Belford”) worked as a boilermaker for approximately forty years. During 75 to 80 percent of that time, he worked alongside persons who installed asbestos-containing thermal insulation products that were very dusty and were manufactured by different companies. During 99 percent of the time, the persons installing these insulation products worked above him. Belford worked on a number of job sites, constantly exposed to asbestos-containing thermal insulation manufactured by Keene and/or its predecessors. 1 Belford was diag *609 nosed as having asbestosis in 1983. He retired in 1991 at the age of 65 years.

Belford sued Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Fibreboard Corp., GAF Corp., The Cel-otex Corp. (successor-in-interest to Philip Carey Manufacturing Corp.), Pittsburgh Corning Corp., Keene Corp., Nicolet, Inc., Owens-Illinois, Inc., Standard Insulations Inc., Combustion Engineering, Inc., Ray-mark Industries, Inc., and H.K. Porter Company, Inc., each individually and in its successor-in-interest capacity, along with Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc., Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corp., National Gypsum Company, and Ryder Industries, Inc. Proceedings against five of the defendants were stayed pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(a).

Keene, together with Armstrong World Industries, Fibreboard Corp., Owens-Corning Fiberglass, and six other defendant manufacturers, filed cross-claims against GAF Corp. and the five remaining defendant manufacturers, seeking indemnity and contribution. Belford settled with all defendants, except Keene.

At trial, Belford and Keene stipulated that the insulation products manufactured by Keene 2 contained asbestos at the time that Belford was exposed to their dust, and that Belford was also exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by GAF/Ruber-oid, Owens-Coming Fiberglass/Kaylo, Fibre-board Corporation/Pabco, and Armstrong World Industries.

The case was submitted to the jury on the theories of negligence, strict liability design defect, and strict liability marketing defect. The jury found that a defect existed in the marketing of the asbestos-containing products at the time they left Keene’s possession. The jury found 1) that no defect existed in the marketing of the asbestos-containing products at the time they left the possession of GAF/Ruberoid, Owens-Corning Fiberglass/Kaylo, Fibreboard Corporation/Pabco, and Armstrong World Industries, 3 2) that Keene was not negligent, and 3) that no design defect existed.

Keene does not attack the jury’s finding that its products contained a marketing defect. Keene contends that since the evidence shows indivisible, cumulative exposure by Belford to all of the named companies’ products, and since the cause of Belford’s injuries cannot be attributed to any individual tort-feasor, all of the manufacturers listed in Jury Question No. 3 should be jointly and severally liable for Belford’s injuries, and that there is “ample evidence” to support a finding against all of these manufacturers.

Keene relies primarily upon the holding of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in Borel v. Fibreboard Paper Prod. Corp. 4 Keene admits that “Keene had the burden of proving that Mr. Belford had been exposed to products other than products manufactured by” Keene and that the proper standard of review is “against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence.”

*610 Belford contends that Keene raises an argument virtually identical to that raised in Fibreboard Corp. v. Pool, 5 and that Keene failed to meet its burden “to establish that the non-party manufacturers’ conduct was a proximate cause of plaintiffs injury by establishing the manufacturers’ negligence or a design or marketing defect contained in their products.”

When a party with the burden of proof complains on appeal from an adverse jury finding, the appropriate points of error are “that the matter was established as a matter of law” or “that the jury’s finding was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence.” Croucher v. Croucher, 660 S.W.2d 55, 58 (Tex.1983). When we review a factual sufficiency point “that the jury’s finding was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence,” we examine the entire record. Cain v. Bain, 709 S.W.2d 175, 176 (Tex.1986); Hickey v. Couchman, 797 S.W.2d 103, 110 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1990). We set aside the verdict only if it is so contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be clearly wrong and manifestly unjust. Cain, 709 S.W.2d at 176; Hickey, 797 S.W.2d at 110.

The parties stipulated that Belford was exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by Keene, GAF/Ruberoid, Owens-Corning Fiberglass/Kaylo, Fibreboard Corporation/Pabco, and Armstrong World Industries. However, in a marketing defect case against a manufacturer of asbestos-containing products, it is not enough that the plaintiff proves exposure to the defendant’s product. A plaintiff must show 1) proof of exposure to the manufacturer’s product, 2) lack of adequate warning or instruction regarding the dangers of asbestos exposure, and 3) damages produced as a result thereof. Borel, 493 F.2d at 1095; Pittsburgh Corning Corp. v. Thomas, 668 S.W.2d 876, 878-79 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1984, no writ). Whether the manufacturer was aware of information regarding the dangers of asbestos use at the time of marketing is immaterial since an asbestos manufacturer is charged with the duty to know the dangers of asbestos products. Borel, 493 F.2d at 1089-90.

Keene, as cross-claimant, had the burden of proving by competent evidence 1) that.Belford was exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by GAF/Ru-beroid, Owens-Coming Fiberglass/Kaylo, Fi-breboard Corporation/Pabco, and Armstrong World Industries, 2) that such products lacked adequate warnings or instructions regarding the dangers of asbestos exposure, and 3) that Belford was injured as a result thereof.

The evidence in the instant case included testimony by a medical expert.

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Related

Pittsburgh Corning Corp. v. Walters
1 S.W.3d 759 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. v. Malone
916 S.W.2d 551 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)

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881 S.W.2d 608, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 2149, 1994 WL 459222, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keene-corp-v-belford-texapp-1994.