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  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
  • RUFUS ALEXANDER VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al ASBESTOS document preview
						
                                

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oO 2. wm YT DAH BR RW DM Gordon & Rees LLP 101 West Broadway, Suite 2000 San Diego, CA 92101 vs BR 28 ERCHILOSRTIGNEIISTIV ROGER M. MANSUKHANI (SBN: 164463) STEVEN A. SOBEL (SBN: 177210) K.C. SWISHER (SBN: 245238) GORDON & REES LLP 101 W. Broadway, Suite 2000 San Diego, CA 92101 Telephone: (619) 696-6700 Facsimile: (619) 696-7124 Attorneys for Defendant HENNESSY INDUSTRIES, INC. ELECTRONICALLY FILED Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco JUL 23 2010 Clerk of the Court BY: WILLIAM TRUPEK Deputy Clerk SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO RUFUS ALEXANDER, Plaintiffs, vs. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B“P) as Reflected on Exhibits B, C, G, H, 1. and DOES 1-8500; and SEE ATTACHED LIST. Ne ce te! a! Ne! a! Seto! ete! ge! ae Se Sage! a! Se! Sone! So Set Sa fit fil dit fit fit -1e CASE NO. CGC-08-274719 EXHIBITS C AND DTO DECLARATION OF K.C. SWISHER IN SUPPORT OF HENNESSY INDUSTRIES, INC.’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS [Filed and served concurrently with Notice of Motion and Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Memorandum of Points and Authorities Compendium of Foreign Authority; Request for Judicial Notice; and [Proposed] Order.] Date: September 21, 2010 Time: 9:30 am. Judge: Hon. Harold E. Kahn Dept: 220 Complaint Filed: July 1, 2008 Trial date: None Set EXHIBITS C AND D TO DECLARATION OF K.C. SWISHER IN SUPPORT OF HENNESSY INDUSTRIES, INC.’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGSEXHIBIT CCage Number: S/24/2010 CGCO5454956 Case Title: Court Date: Calendar Matter: Rulings: Page 1 of 3 WILLIAM BETTENCOURT et al VS. ASBESTOg DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al May~11-2020 09:30 AM Notice Of Motion And Motion For Judgment on The Pleadinga On calendar for Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in Department 220 at 9:36 a.m., Line 3. Defendant Hennessy Industries, Inc.’s motion for judgment on the pleadings is granted with respect to all causes of action alleged against Hennessy. The second, third and sixth causes of action do not apecify any product for which defendant is responsible. (Bockrath v. Aldrich Chemical Co., Inc. (1999) 21 Cal.4th 71, 80). The sixteenth and seventeenth causes of action allege that the brake shoe grinding machines “while being ‘used in a manner that was reasonably foreseeable, failed to protect decedent from exposure to ashestos fibers released from asbestos-containing brake lining caused by use of said. brake shoe grinding machines and related products and equipment, resulting in severe and permanent injury to decedent.” {Complaint (] 154, 169). The machines are alleged to be “defective and unsafe for their intended purpose in that said products caused, and failed to preveat, the inhalation and ingestion of asbeatos tihers by decedent. (Complaint §§ is5, 170). A product manufacturer has no duty to persons whose injury results from defecta in the products of others. (Garman v. Magic Chef, Inc. (1961) 117 Cal.App.3d 634; Walton v. William Powall Co. 2010 WL 1612209; taylor v. Blliott Turbomachinery Co., Inc. 171 (2009) Cal.aApp.4th 564). The complaint does not allege that defendant sold an asbeatos-containing product or that it had any control over the design and manufacture of the asbestos-containing brake Linings used in conjunction with its machine, Tellez-Cordova v. Camphell-Hausfeld/scott Fetager Co. {2064} 129 Cal.app.ath 577 is distinguishable because the power tools atCase Number: Case Title: Court Date: Calendar Matter: Rulings: Page 2 of 3 isaue in that cage had no function until they were used with toxic-containing disks. (Id. at 584 (“{Ulse with the specified wheels, diacs, and grinders wae the inevitable use.“}. (to be Contined in the next entry.) CGC06454966 WILLIAM BETTENCOURT et al VS. ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (B/P)AS REFLECTED ON EXHIBITS et al May~11-2010 09:30 AM Defendant Hennessy Industries, Inc.'S Motion For Judgment on The Pleadinga (Continued From The Previous Entry} On calendar for Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in Department 220 at 9:30 a.m., Line 3. Defendant Hennessy Industries, Inc.‘S Motion For Judgment On The Pleadings (Continued From the Previous Entry). Here, there is no allegation that defendant’s machines could enly function in conjunction with asbestos-containing brake linings, ox that the machines and linings formed a single defective system cover which the defendant exercised significant control. (Walton, WL 2612269 at *7 {*Tellez-Cordova stands for the proposition that the component parte doctrine is inapplicable when a manufacturer's product is uniquely designed to complete a system that is hazardous in its intended use...Unlike Tellez-Cordova, in which the tools and dises formed a single system over which the tool manufacturers had aignificant control, the combination of Powell's valved with. the packing, gaskets, and insulation formed no such syatem.”). the machines are more analogous to the stove in Garman and the acid in Blackwell v. Phelps Dodga Corp. (1984) 157 Cal.aApp.3d 372. Ae in these cases, the plaintifé‘s injury would not hava occurred but for the defendant's product, but it was a defect in the product of another which proximately caused the injury. The only alleged defact in the defendant‘s machines ia that they either caused another defective product to injure the decedent Under Garman and Blackwell, the defendant has no duty te plaintiff under these facts. Plaintiffe’ request for leave te amend with reapect to ita third cause of action ia denied on the ground that plaintiffs have not shown that they could amend their complaint to allege liability against Hennessy. = (220/HBK)Page 3 of 3 5/24/2010EXHIBIT Da Gordon & Rees LLP 101 West Broadway Suite 2000 Sun Diego, CA 92101 Oo OY A WH &F WN etme tk eo wa Aw FY YP 4 S STEVEN SOBEL (SBW: 177210) Brows MATTHEW A. MASON (SBN: 228056) FIL K.C, SWISHER (SBN: 245238) Speer Cot othe GORDON & REES LLP Feaeisca 101 West Broadway Suite 2000 MAY 14 2010 San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: (619) 696-6700 ween ‘OF THE COURT ro TH r. Fax: (619) 696-7124 Attorneys for Defendant HENNESSY INDUSTRIES, INC. SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA - COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CIVIC CENTER COURTHOUSE RITA BETTENCOURT, as Wrongful Death =) CASE NO. CGC-06-454966 Heir, and as Successor-in-Interest to WILLIAM ) WK BETTENCOURT, Deceased, et al., } [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING ) DEFENDANT HENNESSY Plaintiffs, } INDUSTRIES, INC.’S MOTION FOR } JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS vs, } Hearing Date: May 11, 2010 ASBESTOS DEFENDANTS (BP) As ) Time: 9:30 a.m. Reflected on Exhibits B, B-1, C, H, f; and ) Dept: 220 DOES 1-8500; and SEE ATTACHED LIST, )} Judge Harold E. Kahn Defendants. } Complaint Filed: Au: }, 2006 } Trial date: March 22, 2010 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Qn May 11, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. in Dept, 220 of the above- entitled Court, defendant Hennessy Industries Inc.’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings as to Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint came for regular hearing. The court, having considered of the moving, opposing and reply papers filed in connection with this motion as well as the oral argument of counsel, hereby orders as follows. Defendant Hennessy Industries Inc.’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings as to the causes of action asserted against it in Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint is hereby GRANTED. “ u ut «l- {PROPOSED} ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT HENNESSY INDUSTRIES, INC." MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS10 i es, 272 Beee i3 agig 14 2° 45 57 3 16 Ww 18 19 20 | 2 2 23 24 25 26 27 28 WGHNOS to azrrersaay & ITTSSO ORDERED, DATED:_£ }i}10 . : HontJudge Harold E. Kaha San Francisco Superior Court «2 [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT HENNESSY INDUSTRIES, INC.” SMOTION-FOR JUDGMENT ON THe PLEADINGS