SF Defense Verdict in Asbestos Case

    A jury in San Francisco Superior court has granted a defense verdict for General Electric, and was unable to reach a decision as to the liability of Union Carbide Corporation in the case of Philip Rincon v. A.W. Chesterton, SFSC case # CGC06454736. 

    Mr. Rincon is 66 years of age.  He testified personally, arriving at the courthouse in an ambulance, and with an oxygen tank.  He claimed his asbestos exposure occurred while he was employed at Varian Corporation, a company that primarily makes gas and liquid chromatographs.   

    Trial commenced on February 27th.  The jury began deliberation on April 13th. 

    I was informed that during the course of trial several percipient witnesses who had testified that certain materials came from Westinghouse during their depositions, changed that testimony to say on the stand that the materials came from General Electric.  Motions for mistrial, and for non-suit, were denied. 

    Plaintiffs were represented by Dean Hanley of Paul, Hanley & Harley LLP. 

    More information will follow as it becomes available.