Jack And Sandra Kennedy, V Saberhagen Holdings, Inc ( 2014 )

FILED
E' 10t. T OF APPEALS
DIVISION II
26.1Li JU 22 ? IO: 23
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF
WASI.- N ti. H 54TON
DIVISION II ' Y`` m_
13EPI11Y
JACK DON KENNEDY and SANDRA No. 43941 -7 -II
KENNEDY, husband and wife, consolidated with
No. 45381 -9 -II
Appellants,
v.
SABERHAGEN HOLDINGS, INC, UNPUBLISHED OPINION
Respondent.
MELNICK, J. — Jack Kennedy appeals the trial court' s grant of summary judgment for
Saberhagen Holdings, Inc. and its denial of his CR 60( b)( 3) motion. The trial court granted
summary judgment in favor of Saberhagen because it concluded Kennedy failed to present
sufficient evidence to create a reasonable inference that he was exposed to asbestos supplied by
Tacoma Asbestos, Saberhagen' s predecessor.' Kennedy argues that there is sufficient evidence
to create a genuine issue of material fact regarding his exposure to Saberhagen' s products. We
agree. Because Kennedy presented sufficient evidence to avoid summary judgment, we do not
consider Kennedy' s appeal of his CR 60( b)( 3) motion. We reverse and remand for further
proceedings.
FACTS
I. BACKGROUND
In November 2011, a doctor diagnosed Kennedy with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a
cancer in the lining of the lung usually caused by asbestos exposure. Berry v. Crown Cork &
Seal Co., 103 Wn. App. 312, 314, 14 P. 3d 789 ( 2000). Kennedy filed a lawsuit against
Saberhagen, alleging that asbestos supplied by Saberhagen proximately caused his
1
To avoid confusion, we refer to Tacoma Asbestos as Saberhagen.
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
mesothelioma. He alleged the exposure occurred on the Tacoma waterfront at pier 23 between
1964 and 1968 during his employment with the Washington Army National Guard.
While on Pier 23, Kennedy personally handled asbestos and he worked around others
who installed and maintained insulation containing asbestos. Kennedy' s exposure to asbestos
occurred on a floating machine shop ( FMS), the FMS -789. Kennedy and Richard Elmore,
Kennedy' s co- worker, testified in their depositions that the Army activated the FMS -789 in 1966
and awarded a contract to Tacoma Boat Building to prepare the FMS -789 for active duty. This
preparation included asbestos insulation repair and installation. Kennedy and other guardsmen
were on and off the FMS -789 during its repair to retrieve equipment and materials they needed
from the vessel.
Kennedy' s exposure also occurred while working on the FMS -6. In their depositions,
Kennedy and Elmore testified that Kennedy replaced the insulation on the FMS -6' s boiler with
asbestos Kennedy procured from Tacoma Boat. The supplies for replacing the insulation
typically came from the vessel under repair or the National Guard' s main supply shop; however,
Kennedy ran out of insulation during the boiler repair and his supervisor instructed him to get
more from Tacoma Boat. Kennedy personally picked up the asbestos insulation from Tacoma
Boat. Kennedy poured the powdered asbestos cement from the bags he retrieved from Tacoma
Boat into buckets and added water to make insulating asbestos cement. He then applied the
asbestos to the boiler with his bare hands.
Kennedy and Elmore also testified that Kennedy worked with asbestos while repairing
insulation on a small tug boat, the ST -2104. Kennedy obtained the asbestos for the repair work
from Tacoma Boat. Kennedy recalled obtaining a third bag of asbestos from Tacoma Boat, but
did not remember what use he made of that asbestos material.
2
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
Kennedy provided evidence that Saberhagen, an insulation supplier and contractor in
Tacoma during the 1960' s, supplied asbestos to Tacoma Boat. Former Tacoma Boat employee,
Dennis Legas, testified in his deposition that Saberhagen was the only insulation contractor he
recalled working for Tacoma Boat in the 1960s. Legas saw Saberhagen trucks in the Tacoma
Boat yard and testified that his brother - -
in law delivered material from Saberhagen to Tacoma
Boat. Another former Tacoma Boat employee, David Hansen, also testified in his deposition
that Saberhagen was the only insulation contractor he recalled working for Tacoma Boat in the
1960s and that Saberhagen was present at Tacoma Boat "[ d] efinitely frequently." Clerk' s Papers
CP) at 668. Hansen also testified that he saw Ted Boscovich, who worked for Saberhagen,
doing insulation work at Tacoma Boat. During its CR 30( b)( 6) deposition, Saberhagen' s
representative testified that it had no evidence to either prove or disprove that Saberhagen
supplied insulation to Tacoma Boat.
II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Kennedy filed a complaint for negligence and products liability, among other claims,
against Saberhagen on January 11, 2012. Saberhagen moved for summary judgment, arguing
that Kennedy failed " to identify sufficient admissible evidence showing that [ Kennedy] was ever
actually exposed to or harmed by asbestos -containing products supplied by Saberhagen or its
alleged predecessors." CP at 17. Saberhagen identified and argued only one issue to the trial
court: " Where plaintiffs will be unable to introduce evidence at trial that Mr. Kennedy was ever
exposed to asbestos -containing products supplied by Saberhagen or its alleged predecessors,
should plaintiffs' claims against Saberhagen be dismissed ?" CP at 22.
Saberhagen moved to strike several exhibits attached to Kennedy' s response to summary
judgment. The trial court denied Saberhagen' s motion to strike, and in granting Saberhagen' s
3
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
motion for summary judgment it considered the Kennedy, Elmore, Legas, and Hansen
depositions taken for this specific litigation, in addition to the' depositions Kennedy submitted
that were taken in prior asbestos cases and a 1971 Saberhagen letter. Kennedy moved for
reconsideration of the trial court' s grant of summary judgment for Saberhagen, which the trial
court denied. Kennedy timely appealed.
On July 25, 2013, Kennedy filed a CR 60( b)( 3) motion for relief from the order granting
Saberhagen summary judgment. With his motion, Kennedy submitted new evidence of his
alleged exposure to asbestos from Saberhagen. The trial court considered the new evidence and
denied Kennedy' s CR 60( b)( 3) motion, concluding that the " alleged ``newly discovered evidence'
is not of sufficient consequence as to vacate the Court' s prior order granting summary
judgment." CP at 1597. Kennedy timely appealed and we consolidated that appeal with
Kennedy' s first appeal of the trial court' s grant of summary judgment in favor of Saberhagen.
ANALYSIS
Kennedy argues the trial court improperly granted summary judgment because sufficient
circumstantial evidence exists to create a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Kennedy
was exposed to asbestos supplied by Saberhagen. We hold sufficient circumstantial evidence
exists based on the Kennedy, Elmore, Legas, and Hansen depositions from which a reasonable
fact finder could infer that Kennedy' s worksite used Saberhagen' s product between 1964 and
1968 and that Kennedy suffered exposure to Saberhagen' s product. Because Saberhagen moved
for summary judgment only on the exposure issue, we do not consider its additional argument
that Kennedy failed to offer any evidence that he suffered harm from being exposed to asbestos
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
that Saberhagen supplied. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court' s grant of summary judgment
2
and remand for further proceedings.
I. SUMMARY JUDGMENT IMPROPERLY GRANTED
We review an order for summary judgment de novo, engaging in the same inquiry as the
trial court. Jones v. Allstate Ins. Co., 146 Wn.2d 291, 300, 45 P. 3d 1068 ( 2002). Summary
judgment is proper if "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on
file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact
and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." CR 56( c). We construe
all facts and their reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.
Jones, 146 Wn.2d at 300. Summary judgment is proper only if reasonable persons could reach
but one conclusion from the evidence presented. Bostain v. Food Express, Inc., 159 Wn.2d 700,
708, 153 P. 3d 846 ( 2007).
Generally, asbestos plaintiffs in Washington may establish exposure to a defendant' s
product through circumstantial evidence. Lockwood v. A C & S, Inc., 109 Wn.2d 235, 246 -47,
744 P. 2d 605 ( 1987). Due to the long latency of asbestos related diseases, a plaintiffs ability to
recall specific manufacturers of asbestos he was exposed to may be seriously impaired.
Lockwood, 109 Wn.2d at 246. " Hence, instead of personally identifying the manufacturers of
asbestos products to which he was exposed, a plaintiff may rely on the testimony of witnesses
who identify manufacturers of asbestos products which were then present at his workplace."
Lockwood, 109 Wn.2d at 246 -47. But the circumstantial evidence must be sufficient to allow a
2
Because we determine summary judgment was improper, we do not consider whether the trial
court erred by denying Kennedy' s CR 60( b)( 3) motion.
5
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
reasonable fact finder to deduce that the plaintiff contacted the defendant' s product. Lockwood,
109 Wn.2d at 247 -48.
In Lockwood, our Supreme Court found sufficient evidence of exposure where ( 1)
shipyard workers testified that the defendant' s product was used on a large liner conversion and
the plaintiff testified that he worked on a similar ship overhaul in the same area in the same time
period, and ( 2) an expert testified that " after asbestos dust was released, it drifted in the air and
could be inhaled by bystanders who did not work directly with asbestos." Lockwood, 109 Wn.2d
at 247.
In Berry, the court found sufficient evidence of exposure where ( 1) a purchaser for the
plaintiff' s workplace testified that some of the insulation products used at the workplace were
supplied by the defendant, and ( 2) an employee of the plaintiff' s workplace saw Plant and Carey
products almost every day at the workplace and another employee testified that the defendant
was a distributor of Plant and Carey products. 103 Wn. App. at 324. The court in Berry held
that the evidence of exposure was not too speculative and did raise an inference that the
defendant' s products were used at the plaintiff s workplace during the relevant time period. 103
Wn. App. 324 -25.
In Allen v. Asbestos Corp. Ltd., the court found sufficient evidence of exposure where ( 1)
evidence existed of three sale orders of asbestos cloth from the defendant over a period of three
years, and ( 2) an expert testified that if the plaintiffs workplace used asbestos cloths, the
plaintiff would have been exposed because the asbestos dust would have drifted throughout the
workplace. 138 Wn. App. 564, 572 -73, 157 P. 3d 406 ( 2007). The court in Allen determined that
it would be reasonable to infer that because the sales records establish that the plaintiff' s
6
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
workplace ordered large quantities of asbestos over multiple years, it would be reasonable to
infer that the plaintiff' s workplace used the asbestos it ordered. 138 Wn. App. at 573.
When viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Kennedy, we determine it
would be reasonable for a fact finder to find that Kennedy came in contact with Saberhagen' s
product. Kennedy and Elmore provided evidence that Tacoma Boat overhauled the FMS -789 in
1966, which included asbestos insulation repair and installation, and that Kennedy was
occasionally on board the FMS -789 while Tacoma Boat did the repair. Kennedy and Elmore
also stated that Kennedy worked directly with asbestos insulation he retrieved from Tacoma Boat
on the FMS -6' s boiler and the tug boat, ST -2104. Additionally the plaintiff presented evidence
that Saberhagen performed insulation work for Tacoma Boat using insulation containing
asbestos. Two former Tacoma Boat employees testified that they remember Saberhagen as the
only insulation contractor working with Tacoma Boat in the 1960s and one testified that he saw
his brother - -
in law, who worked for Saberhagen, deliver products to Tacoma Boat. Further,
Saberhagen could not offer any evidence to either refute or confirm the claims of the witnesses.
Saberhagen argues the evidence leads to impermissible speculation that Kennedy' s
exposure came from its insulation materials. We reject Saberhagen' s argument. Testimony from
two former Tacoma Boat employees shows that Saberhagen worked extensively with Tacoma
Boat in the 1960s. Kennedy, similarly situated to the plaintiffs in Lockwood, Berry, and Allen,
was a bystander while the FMS -789 had asbestos insulation work performed on it. And Kennedy
possibly had more exposure than the plaintiffs in Lockwood, Berry, and Allen, because there is
evidence that Kennedy worked directly with asbestos.
Kennedy' s summary judgment evidence is sufficient to raise an inference that
Saberhagen' s products were used by Tacoma Boat and at their worksites during the 1960s when
7
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
Kennedy worked for the Washington Army National Guard. Further, the evidence is sufficient
to raise an inference that Kennedy had exposure to those products. Accordingly, the trial court
erred by granting summary judgment in favor of Saberhagen on the exposure issue because a
genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether Kennedy was exposed to Saberhagen' s
3
products. We reverse the order granting summary judgment and remand for further
proceedings.
II. SABERHAGEN DID NOT RAISE THE ISSUE OF CAUSATION ON SUMMARY JUDGMENT
Saberhagen argues that Kennedy raised no issue of material fact regarding whether
exposure to Saberhagen' s product caused him injury. Kennedy argues that Saberhagen did not
sufficiently raise this issue in the trial court. We agree with Kennedy.
Every motion made to the trial court " must specify the grounds and relief sought `` with
particularity', and courts may not consider grounds not stated in the motion." Orsi v. Aetna Ins.
Co., 41 Wn. App. 233, 247, 703 P. 2d 1053 ( 1985) ( citations omitted). Specifically, " CR 7( b)( 1)
requires that a motion `` shall state with particularity the grounds therefor, and shall set forth the
relief or order sought. "' Pamelin Indus., Inc. v. Sheen -U.S.A., Inc., 95 Wn.2d 398, 402, 622 P. 2d
1270 ( 1981). " The purpose of a motion under the civil rules is to give the other party notice of
the relief sought." Pamelin, 95 Wn.2d at 402.
3 Because we hold the Kennedy, Elmore, Legas, and Hansen depositions Kennedy took for this
case are sufficient to overturn summary judgment, we do not consider the admissibility of the
evidence Saberhagen challenged in its motion to strike at the trial court.
8
43941 -7 -II / 45381 -9 -II
Saberhagen identified one issue on summary judgment: " Where plaintiffs will be unable
to introduce evidence at trial that Mr. Kennedy was ever exposed to asbestos -containing products
supplied by Saberhagen or its alleged predecessors, should plaintiffs' claims against Saberhagen
be dismissed ?" CP at 22. And while Saberhagen did make cursory mention ,in its summary
judgment motion that Kennedy failed to identify sufficient admissible evidence to show his harm
was caused by asbestos containing products supplied by Saberhagen, it did not particularly
identify this issue in its motion. Saberhagen' s motion was clearly focused on exposure, arguing
that Kennedy could not prove he was exposed to Saberhagen' s product. Saberhagen merely
mentioned the words " harmed by" or " causing his illness" without providing argument on the
causation issue. Our reading of Saberhagen' s motion is supported by the fact the trial court ruled
only on the exposure issue: " The primary issue in this case is the issue of alleged exposure that
Mr. Kennedy experienced while working at the National Guard Marine Facility" and concluding
Kennedy failed to present sufficient evidence of exposure. CP at 950.
Here, the mere mention of the words " harmed by" or " causing his injury" was
insufficient to raise the issue of causation with particularity. Saberhagen provided insufficient
4
notice to the other party that causation was one of the grounds for the relief sought.
Accordingly, we reviewed summary judgment only for sufficiency of evidence as to Kennedy' s
exposure to asbestos products from Saberhagen and its predecessors.
4 Our holding here does not prohibit Saberhagen from moving the trial court for summary
judgment on issues not relating to exposure.
9
43941 -7 -I1 / 45381 -9 -II
We reverse and remand for further proceedings.
A majority of the panel having determined that this opinion will not be printed in the
Washington Appellate Reports, but will be filed for public record in accordance with RCW
2. 06. 040, it is so ordered.
We concur:
10