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  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
  • MARIO BARBERA VS. CERTAINTEED CORPORATION ASBESTOS document preview
						
                                

Preview

1 BERKES CRANE ROBINSON & SEAL LIT Viiu Spangler Khare(SBN 190429) 2 vspanglerkhare@bcrslaw.com ELECTRONICALLY Ryan C. Kujawski(SBN 226873) FILED 3 rkujawski@bcrslaw.com Superior Court of California, 515 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1500 County of San Francisco 4 Los Angeles, California 90071 08/26/2020 Telephone: (213)955-1150 Clerk of the Court 5 Facsimile: (213)955-1155 BY: MADONNA CARANTO Deputy Clerk 6 Attorneys for Defendant CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO. 7 8 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO 10 11 SHIRLEY BARBERA,as Successor-in- CASE No. CGC-11-275838 Interest to and as Wrongful Death Heir of 12 MARIO BARBERA,Deceased; and DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CATHERINE SEARS; CHRISTIN CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO 13 BARBERA; and MICHAEL BARBERA,as PLAINTIFFS' FIRST AMENDED Wrongful Death Heirs of MARIO BARBERA, COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, 14 Deceased WRONGFUL DEATH-ASBESTOS 15 Plaintiff, 16 V. 17 C V SUPPLY,INC., et al., Action Filed: June 2, 2011 FAC Filed: July 27, 2020 18 Defendants. Trial Date: None 19 20 COMES NOW defendant CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO., and for no other, 21 answers or otherwise responds to the unverified First Amended Complaint For Survival and 22 Wrongful Death as follows: 23 1. Under the provisions of Section 431.30(d) of the California Code ofCivil 24 Procedure, this answering defendant denies each and every allegation of said unverified First 25 Amended Complaint, and the whole thereof, and denies that Decedent sustained damages in the 26 sum or sums alleged, or in any other sum, or at all. 27 28 LAW OFFICES BERKES CRANE 1 ROBINSON Et SEAL DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, WRONGFUL DEATH 1 2. Further answering said First Amended Complaint and each cause of action thereof, 2 and the whole thereof, this answering defendant denies that Decedent sustained any injury, 3 damage or loss, if any, by reason of any act or omission of this answering defendant. 4 FIRST AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 5 3. That each of the purported causes of action fails to state facts sufficient to 6 constitute a cause of action against answering defendant. 7 SECOND AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 8 4. That at all times mentioned in the First Amended Complaint, Decedent so 9 carelessly, recklessly and negligently conducted and maintained himself so as to cause and 10 contribute in some degree to the alleged incidents and to the damages and injuries, if any, alleged 1 1 to have been sustained. Said negligence operates as a complete bar to recovery by Decedent 12 against this answering defendant and/or reduces the amount of Decedent's recovery in proportion 13 to Decedent's degree of fault. 14 THIRD AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 15 5. That at the time and place of the incidents or occurrences alleged in the First 16 Amended Complaint, Decedent knew of the danger and risk inherent in Decedent's activities, if 17 any, but nevertheless Decedent freely and voluntarily exposed himself to all risks of harm and 18 assumed all risks of harm incurred thereto, which assumption of risk acts as a bar to any recovery 19 against this answering defendant. 20 FOURTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 21 6. That Decedent failed to give timely or any notice of the alleged breach of warranty 22 to defendant. 23 FIFTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 24 7. That the injuries and damages, if any, which Decedent sustained were caused and 25 contributed to directly and proximately by the negligence of Decedent's employer and/or 26 employers at the time and place of the occurrence of which Decedent complains, that Decedent's 27 employer failed to provide a safe place in which to work so as to preclude, bar and prevent said 28 employer from being entitled to recover any award or judgment against this answering defendant LAW OFFICES BERKES CRANE 2 ROBINSON Et• SEAL DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, WRONGFUL DEATH 1 in any sum or amount whatsoever. Said negligence of Decedent's employer also entitles this 2 answering defendant to an offset against any recovery by Decedent against this answering 3 defendant in an amount equal to such sums as are paid by Decedent's employer or its Workers' 4 Compensation carrier as a result of occurrences alleged in plaintiffs' First Amended Complaint. 5 SIXTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 6 8. That the First Amended Complaint improperly attempts to assert liability under the 7 theory of market share liability as postulated by Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories(1980)26 Cal.3d 8 588. However, market share liability has been expressly rejected in asbestos cases under Mullen v. Armstrong World Industries(1988)200 Cal.App.3d 250, with the very limited exception in brake 10 exposure cases under Wheeler v. Raybestos Manhattan (1992)8 Cal.App. 4th 1152. 11 SEVENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 12 9. That the injuries and damages, if any, which Decedent sustained were caused and 13 contributed to by the negligence or fault of parties named or unnamed in the First Amended 14 Complaint on file herein other than this answering defendant, including, but not limited to, 15 Decedent's employers. As a result of the negligence or fault of such other parties, this answering 16 defendant is entitled to a limitation on any award of damages against this answering defendant 17 equal to the proportionate share offault, if any, of answering defendant. 18 EIGHTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 19 10. Decedent and various entities, including Decedent's employer, to which this 20 answering defendant allegedly supplied materials, and any other entities in the chain of supply, 21 were sophisticated and learned users of such materials with knowledge as to any potential dangers 22 and appropriate preventive measures to protect their employees from exposure. The employer 23 should have exercised reasonable care to inform Decedent of potential health effects of the 24 products, and this answering defendant had no reason to know or suspect that such warnings and 25 precautions were allegedly not being performed by the sophisticated and learned intermediary and 26 end users of the alleged products. In addition,Decedent, based upon his knowledge, skill, training 27 and experience, knew or should have known of any potential hazards with respect to the materials 28 supplied, manufactured or distributed by this answering defendant and exercised reasonable care. LAW OFFICES BERKES CRANE 3 ROBINSON Er SEAL DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, WRONGFUL DEATH 1 NINTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 2 1 1. That Decedent's claims for punitive and exemplary damages against this answering 3 defendant are barred in whole or in part by applicable provisions of law, including the United 4 States and California Constitutions and interpretive case law. 5 TENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 6 12. The First Amended Complaint and each cause of action pleaded therein must be 7 dismissed or abated on the grounds that Decedentfailed to name and serve a necessary and/or an 8 indispensable party. 9 ELEVENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 10 13. Any loss, injury or damage incurred by Decedent was proximately caused by the 1 1 negligent or willful acts or omissions of parties whom defendant neither controlled nor had the 12 right to control, and was not proximately caused by any acts, omissions or other conduct of 13 defendant. 14 TWELFTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 15 14. The tortious conduct alleged in the First Amended Complaint as to this defendant, 16 if any, was not a substantial factor in bringing about the alleged injuries, and therefore was not a 17 contributing cause, but was superseded by tortious and/or intentional conduct by one or more third 18 parties whose misconduct was an independent, intervening, sole and proximate cause of each of 19 Decedent's alleged injuries or damages, if any. 20 THIRTEENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 21 15. Decedent named defendant in the First Amended Complaint without reasonable 22 identification of what acts, if any, defendant participated in, and without a reasonable 23 investigation. Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 128.7, defendant requests reasonable 24 expenses, including attorneys' fees incurred by defendant as a result of the maintenance by 25 Decedent of this bad faith action. 26 27 28 LAW OFFICES BERKES CRANE 4 ROBINSON & SEAL DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, WRONGFUL DEATH 1 FOURTEENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 2 16. The First Amended Complaint, and each cause of action therein, is barred by the 3 applicable statute of limitations including but not limited to Code of Civil Procedure sections 4 335.1, 337.1, 337.15, 338, 338(d)[fraud], 340, 340.2, 340.8 and 343 and Commercial Code 5 section 2725. 6 FIFTEENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 7 17. Decedent's alleged injuries, if any, were caused wholly or in part by post- 8 distribution modifications, alterations or other changes in some manner in products used by answering defendant, and such modifications, alterations or changes were not performed by, 10 participated in, consented to, or approved by defendant, or any agent or employee of defendant, 11 thus barring Decedent's recovery herein. 12 SIXTEENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 13 18. Decedent is barred from any recovery herein as against defendant to the extent that, 14 pursuant to Labor Code section 3600, et seq., Decedent's exclusive remedy as against defendant 15 with respect to the incident and damages complained of would be and is pursuant to the workers' 16 compensation laws ofthe State of California and subject to resolution only in a workers' 17 compensation forum. 18 SEVENTEENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 19 19. Defendant is entitled to a set-off of all amounts paid to the Decedent by other 20 defendants pursuant to pro tanto settlements. 21 EIGHTEENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 22 20. Any product or products alleged by Decedent to have caused Decedent's injuries 23 were manufactured, installed, used or distributed in compliance with specifications provided by 24 third parties to defendant and/or in compliance with all applicable health and safety statues, 25 regulations, and all applicable building code statues and regulations. 26 NINETEENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 27 21. At all relevant times, Decedent did not justifiably rely on defendant's alleged 28 misrepresentations. LAW OFFICES BERKES CRANE 5 ROBINSON Er SEAL DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS'FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, WRONGFUL DEATH 1 TWENTIETH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 2 22. This answering defendant is informed and believes, and thereon alleges, that mitigate his alleged damages, if any, and any recovery by Decedent should be 3 Decedent failed to of alleged damages incurred by said failure. 4 reduced by the amount TWENTY-FIRST AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE 5 6 23. Defendant presently has insufficient knowledge or information upon which to form it may have additional, as yet unknown, affirmative defenses. Defendant 7 a belief as to whether the right to assert additional affirmative defenses in the event discovery indicates it 8 reserves herein 9 would be appropriate. 10 WHEREFORE,this answering defendant prays as follows: 11 1. That Decedent take nothing by reason of his First Amended Complaint on file herein; 12 2. For costs of suit incurred herein; 13 3. For such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper. DATED: August 26, 2020 BERKES CRANE ROBINSON & SEAL LLP 14 15 16 VIM SPANGLER KHARE 17 RYAN C. KUJAWSKI 18 Attorneys for Defendant CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO. 19 6482936.DOCX 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 LAW OFFICES BERKES CRANE 6 ROBINSON Er SEAL DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS'FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, WRONGFUL DEATH 1 PROOF OF SERVICE 2 STATE OF CALIFORNIA,COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES 3 At the time of service, I was over 18 years of age and not a party to this action. I am employed in the County of Los Angeles, State of California. My business address is 515 South 4 Figueroa Street, Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90071. 5 On August 26, 2020, I served true copies of the following document(s) described as DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST 6 AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL,WRONGFUL DEATH on the interested parties in this action as follows: 7 PER MASTER SERVICE LIST(VIA FILE & SERVE XPRESS) 8 BY ELECTRONIC SERVICE: I electronically served the document(s) described above Q via File & ServeXpress, on the recipients designated on the Transaction Receipt located on the File & ServeXPress website (https://secure.fileandservexpress.com) pursuant to the Court Order 10 establishing the case website and authorizing service of documents. 11 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. 12 Executed on August 26, 2020, at Los Angeles, California. 13 14 15 Rosario M. Castellanos 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 LAW OFFICES BERKES CRANE 7 ROBINSON Er SEAL DEFENDANT CAMPBELL CONSTRUCTION CO.'S ANSWER TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR SURVIVAL, WRONGFUL DEATH