Court Says Revised Requirements for Owner Liability Warrant New Trial

SAN FRANCISCO - A California appellate court has reversed an asbestos plaintiff verdict and ordered a new trial, stating that if the jury had been instructed in accordance with recently established premises liability, Exxon Mobil Corp. may have obtained a more favorable result. Grahn, et al. v. Exxon Mobil Corp., No. A098818; Grahn, et al. v. Dillingham Construction Inc., No. A098607 (Calif. Ct. App., 1st Dist.).

California's 1st District Court of Appeal said in a Nov. 13 opinion that after reconsidering the issues of the case in light of Kinsman v. Unocal Corp. (2005) 37 Cal.4th 659, judgment for the …