Opinion ID: 791997
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Coffin Turbo Pump, Inc.

Text: 24 The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Coffin Turbo Pump, Inc. based on a finding that plaintiffs-appellants had failed to produce evidence that Coffin Turbo Pump's products had caused Lindstrom's illness. Lindstrom testified that Coffin manufactured most of the feed pumps on the vessels upon which he worked. Lindstrom testified that new Coffin pumps do not come with any insulation and that Coffin did not send insulation at the time it delivered the pumps. Lindstrom stated that any insulation put on a Coffin pump was probably provided by the shipyard. Lindstrom also testified that the replacement gaskets were not Coffin products. Lindstrom further testified regarding graphite-coated packing rings on the pumps as well as the packing in the valve. Lindstrom stated that he replaced the original packing rings, which were manufactured by Coffin, many times and they usually slid right off and were not dusty. Lindstrom testified that the new rings tended to be dusty when they were being put on but stated that he did not know whether the dust contained asbestos. It is unclear from the record whether the replacement packing rings were manufactured by Coffin. 25 Lindstrom also testified that he worked on the asbestos packing in Coffin pumps in the valve stem many times. Lindstrom testified that he knew that the packing was asbestos packing because it was hot. Finally, Lindstrom testified that he replaced gaskets on the pump throttles approximately twelve times. Lindstrom testified that the replacement gaskets were not Coffin products. William Kammerzell, an individual with whom Lindstrom had worked aboard The Allison Lykes for various periods between 1989 and 1991, also testified regarding Lindstrom's exposure to Coffin products. Kammerzell testified that Coffin produced special packing made especially for their pumps. Kammerzell testified that he had observed Lindstrom repacking Coffin pumps. He testified that asbestos products are everywhere on U.S. merchant vessels. 26 The information before the district court at the time of the summary judgment motion does not establish a question of material fact regarding the issue of whether a Coffin Turbo product was a substantial factor in Lindstrom's illness, and therefore, we affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment in Coffin Turbo's favor. The information presented establishes that the only asbestos-containing products, aside from the graphite-coated packing rings, to which Lindstrom was exposed in connection with any Coffin Turbo products were not manufactured by Coffin Turbo, but rather products from another company that were attached to a Coffin product. Coffin Turbo cannot be held responsible for the asbestos contained in another product. See Stark, 21 Fed.Appx. at 381; Koonce, 798 F.2d at 715. 27 With respect to the graphite-coated packing rings, Lindstrom testified that the original rings on the product were manufactured by Coffin Turbo and that the packing rings contained asbestos. Lindstrom also testified that the rings slid[ ] right off and were not dusty. This court has held that in order to hold a defendant liable in an asbestos case, the plaintiff must show, at a minimum, exposure to asbestos dust. Anjeski v. Acands, Inc., No. 89-1571, 1990 WL 58191, at  5 (6th Cir. May 7, 1990). Lindstrom testified that the replacement packing rings were dusty; however, it is not clear that the replacement rings were Coffin Turbo products, and further, Lindstrom did not know whether the dust on the replacement rings contained asbestos. It is therefore not reasonable to infer from Lindstrom's testimony that he was exposed to asbestos dust from the Coffin Turbo packing rings, and thus, he cannot show that the rings were a substantial factor in his illness.