Pa. Court Reverses Summary Judgment for 5 Asbestos Defendants

PHILADELPHIA -- Summary judgment awards entered in favor of five asbestos defendants have been reversed by a Pennsylvania appellate court, which found that the trial court had "engaged in an inappropriate weighing of the evidence." Howard, et al. v. A.W. Chesterton Co., et al., No. 2978 EDA 2010 (Pa. Super. Ct.).

In the Oct. 28 opinion, the Pennsylvania Superior Court found that the trial court had erred when applying the state's frequency, regularity and proximity standard without taking into consideration the particular circumstances of the mesothelioma case.

The claims were asserted on behalf of John C. Ravert, who was allegedly …