Opinion ID: 791997
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Ingersoll Rand Company

Text: 28 The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Ingersoll Rand Company based on a finding that plaintiffs-appellants had failed to produce evidence that Ingersoll Rand's products had caused Lindstrom's illness. Lindstrom testified that Ingersoll Rand manufactured most of the air compressors on the ships on which Lindstrom worked during his lifetime. Lindstrom testified that sheet packing containing asbestos was used with air compressors. He stated that he personally used sheet packing with water pumps, steam joints, and valves, but it is unclear whether he dealt with sheet packing in connection with an air compressor. Lindstrom did not testify that Ingersoll Rand was a manufacturer of the sheet packing. Lindstrom also testified that Ingersoll Rand provided replacement gaskets in kits and that these gasket kits did not have asbestos in them. George testified that Ingersoll Rand manufactured pumps, but he was unable to remember whether any Ingersoll Rand product was present upon The Almeria Lykes, the one ship on which he and Lindstrom served together. 29 The information before the district court at the time of the summary judgment motion was insufficient to create any question of material fact with regard to the question of whether an Ingersoll Rand product was a substantial factor in Lindstrom's illness. Lindstrom failed to identify any link between an Ingersoll Rand product and any product containing asbestos with which he came in contact. Even if Lindstrom's testimony is sufficient to establish that he came in contact with sheet packing material containing asbestos in connection with an Ingersoll Rand air compressor, Ingersoll Rand cannot be held responsible for asbestos containing material that it was incorporated into its product post-manufacture. See Stark, 21 Fed.Appx. at 381; Koonce, 798 F.2d at 715. Lindstrom did not allege that any Ingersoll Rand product itself contained asbestos. As a result, plaintiffs-appellants cannot show that an Ingersoll Rand product was a substantial factor in Lindstrom's illness, and we therefore affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment in Ingersoll Rand's favor.