Krauss, C. v. Trane US Inc.

104 A.3d 556
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 22, 2014
Docket644 EDA 2013
StatusPublished
Cited by115 cases

This text of 104 A.3d 556 (Krauss, C. v. Trane US Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Krauss, C. v. Trane US Inc., 104 A.3d 556 (Pa. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION BY SHOGAN, J.:

Appellant, Colleen M. Krauss, Executrix of the Estate of Henry M. Krauss (“Decedent”), appeals from the orders granting summary judgment in favor of Appellees General Electric Company (“GE”); Georgia-Pacifíc, L.L.C.; CBS Corporation-Westinghouse (“Westinghouse”); Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Zurn Industries; and Trane U.S. Inc., fik/a American Standard (“American Standard”), (jointly “Appellee Manufacturers”). 1 We affirm.

The trial court summarized the factual and procedural history of this case as follows:

Appellant Colleen M, Krauss, as [Executrix] of the Estate of Henry M. Krauss, commenced suit against twelve (12) defendants on February 7, 2006, under the caption Krauss v. Anco Insu-lations, Inc., et al, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas February Term '2006, No. 212. On January 8, 2007, Appellant filed a second suit against thirty-seven (37) additional defendants under the caption Krauss v. Allis Chalmers Corp., et al, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas January Term 2007, No. 726. Appellant filed a Motion to Consolidate the two actions on February 7, 2011, and the cases were consolidated under the February Term 2006, No. 212 court term and number by court Order dated May 13, 2011.
Appellant Colleen M. Krauss contends Appellant’s decedent, Henry M. Krauss, was employed in the bricklaying trade, and during the course of his employment, Mr. Krauss worked at various job sites throughout the state of Louisiana, including at Borden Chemical in Geim-ser, Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Company in both Baton Rouge and Gramercy, Freeport Chemical in Convent, AgraCo in Donaldsville, and while in the employ of John Wayne Smith *561 Masonry in Baton Rouge. Appellant claims Mr. Krauss also worked at Kirkland Masonry in Boca Raton, Florida. According to Appellant, Mr. Krauss worked at these job sites between the years of 1978 and 1983 with each job varying in length.
Appellant claims Appellant’s decedent was exposed to asbestos at numerous jobsites from working with and/or around Appellees’ products, including turbines manufactured by Appellees General Electric and CBS Corporation (Westinghouse); boilers manufactured by Appellees Zurn Industries, Foster Wheeler, LLC and Trane US. Inc. f/k/a American Standard; pumps manufactured by Appellee Goulds Pumps, Inc., and joint compound and other spaekling and adhesive products manufactured by Appellee Georgia[-]Pacific, LLC. Appellant claims while on the job the decedent[,] Mr. Krauss[,] got asbestos on his clothes and hair and in his lungs, and as a result he contracted mesothelioma. Appellant’s decedent was not deposed before his death.
On November 13, 2012, all the Appel-lees filed Motions for Summary Judgment. Appellant filed Answers to the Motions for Summary Judgment of Ap-pellees Georgia-Pacific, LLC; Foster Wheeler, LLC; CBS Corporation (Westinghouse); Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Zurn Industries and Trane US, Inc. f/k/a American Standard on November 30, 2012. Appellant filed an Answer to the Motion for Summary Judgment of Ap-pellee General Electric Company on December 7, 2012. On January 16, 2013[, the trial court] granted summary judgment in favor of Appellee General Electric Company. On January. 19, 2013[, the trial court] granted summary judgment in favor of Appellees Foster Wheeler, L.L.C.; Georgia-Pacific, LLC; CBS Corporation (Westinghouse); Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Zurn Industries and Trane U.S. Inc. f/k/a American Standard.
On February 21, 2013, Appellant filed [her] Notices of Appeal of the aforementioned Orders. On February 28, 2013, [the trial court] issued Orders directing Appellant to file a Concise Statement of Matters Complained of on Appeal pursuant to [Pa.R.A.P.] 1925(b). On March 18, 2013, Appellant filed [her] 1925(b) Statements.

Trial Court Opinion, 10/10/13, at 1-3. 2

Appellant presents the following issues for our review:

A. DID THE LOWER COURT ERR AS A MATTER OF LAW WHEN IT GRANTED ALL SIX MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT WHERE THE AFFIDAVIT OF MIKE MORGAN RAISES A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT CONCERNING *562 FREQUENT, REGULAR AND PROXIMATE EXPOSURE TO [] ASBESTOS PRODUCTS OF ALL SIX MANUFACTURERS?
B. DID THE LOWER COURT ERR AS A MATTER OF LAW WHEN IT GRANTED THE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF CBS CORPORATION WHERE THE RECORD REVEALS A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT CONCERNING FREQUENT, REGULAR AND PROXIMATE EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN TURBINES OF CBS CORPORATION’S ACKNOWLEDGED PREDECESSOR, WESTINGHOUSE?
C. DID THE LOWER COURT ERR AS A MATTER OF LAW WHEN IT GRANTED THE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY WHERE THE RECORD REVEALS A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT CONCERNING FREQUENT, REGULAR AND PROXIMATE EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN TURBINES OF GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY?
D. DID THE LOWER COURT ERR AS A MATTER OF LAW WHEN IT GRANTED THE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF GEORGIA-PACIFIC WHERE THE RECORD REVEALS A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT CONCERNING EXPOSURE TO GEORGIA-PACIFIC’S ASBESTOS-CONTAINING PRODUCTS?
E. DID THE LOWER COURT ERR AS A MATTER OF LAW WHEN IT GRANTED THE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF GOULDS PUMPS WHERE THE RECORD REVEALS A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT CONCERNING FREQUENT, REGULAR AND PROXIMATE EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN GOULDS PUMPS?
F. DOES THE RECORD REVEAL GENUINE ISSUES OF MATERIAL FACT WHETHER DEFENDANTS CAN BE HELD LIABLE FOR THEIR INCLUSION OF THIRD PARTIES’ ASBESTOS-CONTAINING PRODUCTS AS COMPONENTS IN THEIR OWN PRODUCTS?
G. DID THE LOWER COURT ERR AS A MATTER OF LAW WHEN IT GRANTED THE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF TRANE WHERE THE RECORD REVEALS A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT CONCERNING FREQUENT, REGULAR AND PROXIMATE EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN AMERICAN STANDARD BOILERS?
H. DID THE LOWER COURT ERR AS A MATTER OF LAW WHEN IT GRANTED THE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF ZURN WHERE THE RECORD REVEALS A GENUINE ISSUE OF MATERIAL FACT CONCERNING FREQUENT, REGULAR AND PROXIMATE EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN ZURN BOILERS?

Appellant’s Brief at 7-11 (verbatim).

An order granting summary judgment is subject to the following scope and standard of appellate review:

Our standard of review on an appeal from the grant of a motion for summary judgment is well-settled. A reviewing *563 court may disturb the order of the trial court only where it is established that the court committed an error of law or abused its discretion. As with all questions of law, our review is plenary.
In evaluating the trial court’s decision to enter summary judgment, we focus on the legal standard articulated in the summary judgment rule. Pa.R.C.P. 1035.2. The rule states that where there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to relief as a matter of law, summary judgment may be entered.

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Bluebook (online)
104 A.3d 556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/krauss-c-v-trane-us-inc-pasuperct-2014.