Calif. Appellate Court Rejects Challenges to Deposition Time Limits in Asbestos Case

SAN FRANCISCO –– A California appellate court has rejected an asbestos defendant’s challenges to deposition time limits, concluding that the arguments advanced by the company are identical to those considered, and rejected, by the Legislature when it enacted the statute.

In a July 19 opinion, the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Five, also concluded that the statute limiting depositions in certain situations to a maximum of 14 hours did not violate the asbestos defendant’s due process rights.

“In sum,” the court wrote, “the unambiguous statutory language and the legislative history unquestionably demonstrate the Legislature’s purpose in enacting …