Fla. Appellate Court Reverses $21 Million Asbestos Verdict in Case Against Premises Defendant

MIAMI –– A Florida appellate court has reversed a $21 million verdict entered in favor of an asbestos plaintiff after determining that the plaintiff had failed to prove that the company named as a premises defendant had control of the facility.

In the Dec. 27 opinion, the Florida Third District Court of Appeal also found that the trial court had erred in issuing an adverse jury instruction as a discovery sanction.

“The record in this case fails to include evidence sufficient to make a finding that Bechtel controlled all or part of the premises where Batchelor was exposed to …