Opinion ID: 791997
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: John Crane, Inc.

Text: 33 With respect to defendant-appellant John Crane, Inc., the district court found, following a bench trial, that plaintiffs-appellants had failed to meet the burden of proving that John Crane's products caused Lindstrom's illness. In so holding, the district court relied on the unrebutted testimony of John Crane's experts. This expert testimony established that (1) John Crane products do not release more than background levels of asbestos, and (2) release of quantities of asbestos fibers below background levels are not dangerous. Plaintiffs-appellants do not challenge any aspect of the district court's factual findings. 34 Plaintiffs-appellants first argue that, in applying Stark, the district court used the wrong legal standard in determining whether John Crane, Inc. was liable. Plaintiffs-appellants argue that the Stark standard, which requires the plaintiff to show a substantial exposure to a particular defendant's product for a substantial period of time, is only appropriate where the plaintiff relies on circumstantial evidence alone. However, plaintiffs-appellants fail to articulate a standard that they claim is more appropriate, saying only that [o]nce the mesothelioma is diagnosed, it is impossible to rule out any of Mr. Lindstrom's exposures as being substantially contributory. Their argument appears to be that a showing of any level of asbestos exposure attributable to John Crane's products was sufficient for the court to have entered a judgment in their favor. 35 We reject plaintiffs-appellants' argument on this point. The district court did not use the wrong standard in reviewing plaintiffs-appellants' products liability claim. The Stark opinion notes that expert testimony is not required. 21 Fed.Appx. at 376. Plaintiffs-appellants apparently interpret this statement to mean that where expert testimony is offered, a plaintiff is no longer required to show substantial exposure. The Stark opinion and general logic may suggest that, where an expert witness can testify unequivocally that a defendant's product was the source of the illness, a plaintiff does not need to rely on proof of substantial exposure to establish causation. In this case, however, plaintiffs-appellants presented no such expert. In fact, their only expert who tested John Crane's products failed to measure the amount of asbestos fibers released in the air from the products. Thus, plaintiffs-appellants' theory of liability does not fit within any possible exception to Stark. The district court properly applied the Stark reasoning. 36 Plaintiffs-appellants also claim that the district court erred in failing to address their strict liability and failure to test theories. Plaintiffs-appellants' argument that the district court failed to address their strict liability claim is simply wrong; the district court considered and rejected this claim in its opinion. Plaintiffs-appellants cite no law in support of their failure to test theory; rather, they cite cases concerning a failure to warn theory. Indeed, plaintiffs-appellants do not appear to have put forth any argument regarding a failure to test theory before the district court. The district court considered and correctly rejected plaintiffs-appellants' failure to warn theory in its opinion as well. Thus, plaintiffs-appellants' arguments regarding the district court's ruling in favor of John Crane, Inc. are unavailing and we therefore affirm the district court's decision.