Court Opinion

ID: 9952483
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-19 20:09:35.579782+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:39:43.594493
License: Public Domain

Bassier v A.O. Smith Water Prods. Co.
               2024 NY Slip Op 30838(U)
                     March 13, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 190088/2019
                  Judge: Adam Silvera
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
 Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York
 State and local government sources, including the New
  York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service.
 This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official
                       publication.
                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 190088/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 287                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/14/2024

                           SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                     NEW YORK COUNTY
           PRESENT:       HON. ADAM SILVERA                                  PART                             13
                                                                Justice
            --------------------------------------X
                                                                             INDEX NO.         190088/2019
            GEM SASSIER,
                                                                             MOTION DATE        07/25/2023
                                             Plaintiff,
                                                                             MOTION SEQ. NO.       005
                                     - V -

            AO. SMITH WATER PRODUCTS CO, ABB, INC.
            INDIVIDUALLY AND AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO
            ITE CIRCUIT     BREAKERS, INC, AIR & LIQUID
            SYSTEMS CORPORATION,       AS SUCCESSOR-BY-
            MERGER TO BUFFALO PUMPS, INC, AMCHEM
            PRODUCTS, INC.,    N/K/A RHONE POULENC AG
            COMPANY,     N/K/A BAYER CROPSCIENCE INC,
            BORGWARNER MORSE TEC LLC,BRYANT HEATING &
            COOLING SYSTEMS, BURNHAM, LLC, INDIVIDUALLY,
            AND AS SUCCESSOR TO        BURNHAM
            CORPORATION, BW/IP, INC. AND ITS WHOLLY OWNED
            SUBSIDIARIES, CARRIER CORPORATION,
            CATERPILLAR, INC.,CBS CORPORATION, A DELAWARE
            CORP., F/K/A VIACOM INC., SUCCESSOR BY MERGER
            TO CBS CORPORATION, A PENNSYLVANIA CORP.,
            F/K/A WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC          CORP., AS
            SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO THE BRYANT ELECTRIC
            COMPANY, CBS CORPORATION, F/K/A VIACOM INC.,
            SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO           CBS CORPORATION,
            F/K/A WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION,                           DECISION + ORDER ON
            CERTAINTEED CORPORATION, CLEAVER BROOKS                                   MOTION
            COMPANY, INC.,COMPUDYNE CORPORATION,
            INDIVIDUALLY, AND AS SUCCESSOR TO YORK
            SHIPLEY, INC, CRANE CO, CROSBY VALVE LLC,EATON
            CORPORATION, AS SUCCESSOR -IN-INTEREST TO
            CUTLER-HAMMER, INC, FLOWSERVE US, INC.
            SOLELY AS SUCCESSOR TO ROCKWELL
             MANUFACTURING COMPANY, EDWARD VALVE,
             INC.,NORDSTROM VALVES, INC.,EDWARD VOGT
            VALVE COMPANY, AND VOGT VALVE COMPANY, FMC
             CORPORATION,     ON BEHALF OF ITS FORMER
             CHICAGO PUMP      & NORTHERN PUMP BUSINESSES,
             FORT KENT HOLDINGS, INC.,      FORMERLY KNOWN AS
             DUNHAM-BUSH, INC.,FULTON BOILER WORKS, INC,
             GARDNER DENVER, INC, GENERAL ELECTRIC
             COMPANY, GOULD ELECTRONICS INC, GOULDS
             PUMPS LLC,GRINNELL LLC,HONEYWELL
             INTERNATIONAL, INC., F/K/A ALLIED SIGNAL, INC./
             BENDIX, IMO INDUSTRIES, INC . ., ITT LLC.,
             INDIVIDUALLY AND AS SUCCESSOR TO BELL &
             GOSSETT AND AS SUCCESSOR TO KENNEDY VALVE

            190088/2019 SASSIER, COLLIN N vs. A.O. SMITH WATER PRODUCTS CO                      Page 1 of 5
            Motion No. 005

                                                          1 of 5
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                                                                                                 INDEX NO. 190088/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 287                                                                    RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/14/2024

            MANUFACTURING CO., INC.,KEELER-DORR-OLIVER
            BOILER COMPANY, KOHLER CO, LENNOX INDUSTRIES,
            INC, LEVITON MANUFACTURING CO., INC, PEERLESS
            INDUSTRIES, INC, PFIZER, INC. (PFIZER), RHEEM
            MANUFACTURING COMPANY, ROCKWELL
            AUTOMATION, INC.,AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST
            TO ALLEN- BRADLEY COMPANY, LLC,ROPER PUMP
            COMPANY, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC USA, INC.
            FORMERLY KNOWN AS         SQUARE D COMPANY,
            SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.,SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST
            TO    SIEMENS ENERGY & AUTOMATION, INC,
            SLANT/FIN CORPORATION, U.S. RUBBER COMPANY
            (UNIROYAL), UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION, UTICA
            BOILERS, INC.,  INDIVIDUALLY AND AS SUCCESSOR
            TO     UTICA RADIATOR CORPORATION, VELAN VALVE
            CORPORATION, WARREN PUMPS, LLC,

                                             Defendant.
                                               ---------------X

           The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 005) 260, 261, 262, 263,
           264,265,266,268,269,270,271,272,273,274,275,276,277,278,279,280,282
           were read on this motion to/for                             JUDGMENT - SUMMARY

                   Upon the foregoing documents, it is ordered that the instant motion for summary

           judgment seeking dismissal of this action, pursuant to CPLR § 3212, is denied for the reasons set

           forth below.

                  Here, defendant Burnham, LLC (Burnham) argues that plaintiff Collin Bassier (Mr.

           Bassier) failed to establish exposure to its alleged asbestos-containing products. Mr. Bassier was

           diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma on January 14, 2019 and commenced this action on April

           8, 2019. Mr. Bassier alleges he suffered personal injuries resulting from his exposure to asbestos-

           containing products manufactured by various companies during his work as an electrician. He

           served his Responses to Interrogatories on April 16, 2019, and was deposed on May 22-24, 2019

           and August 12-13, 2019. Mr. Bassier passed away on October 10, 2021.

            190088/2019 SASSIER, COLLIN N vs. A.O. SMITH WATER PRODUCTS CO                       Page 2 of 5
            Motion No. 005

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                                                                                                   INDEX NO. 190088/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 287                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/14/2024

                  The Court notes that summary judgment is a drastic remedy and should only be granted if

          the moving party has sufficiently established that it is warranted as a matter of law. See A/rare:: v

           Prospect Hosp., 68 NY2d 320, 324 (1986). "The proponent of a summary judgment motion must

           make a prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law, tendering sufficient

           evidence to eliminate any material issues of fact from the case". Winegrad v New York

           Unfvl.!rsi(v Medicu! Center, 64 NY2d 851, 853 (1985). Despite the sufficiency of the opposing

           papers, the failure to make such a showing requires denial of the motion. See id. at 853.

                  Additionally, summary judgment motions should be denied if the opposing party presents

           admissible evidence establishing that there is a genuine issue of fact remaining. See Zuckerman v

           City of!Vi:w York, 49 NY2d 557, 560 (1980). "In determining whether summary judgment is

           appropriate, the motion court should draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving

           party and should not pass on issues of credibility." Gurciu v JC Duggan. Inc., 180 AD2d 579,

           580 (1st Dep't 1992), citing Dw11nan Displays, Inc. r Afasturzo, 168 AD2d 204 (1st Dep't 1990).

           The court's role is "issue-finding, rather than issue-determination". S'i!lmcm v Twl.!ntieth Century-

           Fox Film Corp., 3 NY2d 395, 404 (1957) (internal quotations omitted). As such, summary

           judgment is rarely granted in negligence actions unless there is no conflict at all in the evidence.

           See Ugurri:::a v S'chmieder, 46 NY2d 471, 475-476 (1979). Furthermore, the Appellate Division,

           First Department has held that on a motion for summary judgment, it is moving defendant's

           burden "to unequivocally establish that its product could not have contributed to the causation of

           plaintiffs injury". ReiJ v Georgia-Pac(tic Corp., 212 AD2d 462, 463 (1st Dep't 1995).

                   The appropriate standard at summary judgment for moving defendant Burnham can be

           found in I~ver ".·1mchem Products Inc., 207 AD3d 408,409 (1st Dep't 2022). In L~ver,

           defendants were granted summary judgment not by "simply argu[ing] that plaintiff could not

            190088/2019 SASSIER, COLLIN N vs. A.O. SMITH WATER PRODUCTS CO                         Page 3 of 5
            Motion No. 005

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                                                                                                     INDEX NO. 190088/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 287                                                                        RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/14/2024

          affirmatively prove causation" but by "affirmatively prov[ing], as a matter of law, that there was

          no causation." Id. The Appellate Division, First Department, recently affirmed this Court's

           decision in Sason v Dykes Lumber        . inc., er. al., 2023 NYSlipOp 05796 (1st Dep't 2023),

           stating that "the parties' competing causation evidence constituted the classic 'battle of the

           experts' " sufficient to raise a question of fact, and to preclude summary judgment.

                  The Court notes that Mr. Bassier was born and raised in Jamaica and emigrated to

           America in his teenage years to work at his stepfather's business, Hamilton Heating & AC, from

           1981 to 1984. His work consisted of removing existing residential boilers. Mr. Bassier identified

           Burnham Boilers as an asbestos-containing product in his Verified Answers to Interrogatories.

           See Affirmation in Opposition to Defendant Burnham's Motion for Summary Judgment, Exh. 4,

           Plaintiff's Response to Defendants' Fourth Amended Interrogatories and Request for Production

           of Documents, p. 12. In his deposition testimony, when asked ifhe knew the brand name, trade

           name, or manufacturer name of the boilers he removed during his time at Hamilton, Mr. Bassier

           answered, inter alia, "Burningham", which was spelled phonetically as annotated in the

           deposition transcript. See Affirmation in Opposition, Exh. 3, Depo. Tr. of Collin Bassier, dated

           May 22, 2019, p. 91, ln. 23. The Appellate Division, First Department, has held that "[t]he

           deposition testimony of a litigant is sufficient to raise an issue of fact so as to preclude the grant

           of summary judgment dismissing the complaint. The assessment of the value of a witnesses'

           testimony constitutes an issue for resolution by the trier of fact, and any apparent discrepancy

           between the testimony and the evidence of record goes only to the weight and not the

           admissibility of the testimony." Dol!as v H:. R. Grace and Co., 225 AD2d 319, 321 (1st Dep't

           1996) (internal citations omitted).

            190088/2019 SASSIER, COLLIN N vs. A.O. SMITH WATER PRODUCTS CO                          Page 4 of 5
            Motion No. 005

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  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 287                                                                            RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/14/2024

                   Further, defendant Burnham makes no attempt to meet their initial burden on a motion

          for summary judgment by proving that their products did not contain asbestos. Thus, moving

          defendant has failed to "establish that its products could not have contributed to the causation of

          plaintiffs injury." Reid v Georgia-Paci/1c Corp., supru. As conflicting evidence has been

          presented herein, and a reasonable juror could determine that Mr. Bassier was exposed to

          asbestos-containing boilers manufactured by defendant Burnham from his work removing

           boilers, and that such exposure could have contributed to his fatal illness, sufficient issues of fact

           exist to preclude summary judgment.

                   Accordingly. it is

                   ORDERED that defendant Burnham, LLCs motion for summary judgms:nt denied in its

           entirety: and it is further

                   ORDERED that \Vi thin 30 days of s:ntry plaintiff shall serve all parties with a copy of this

           Decision/Order with notice of entry.

                   This constitutes the Decision/Order of the Court.

                   3/13/2024
                     DATE                                                         ADAM SILVERA, J.S.C.

                                     ~
            CHECK ONE:                   CASE DISPOSED                   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                         GRANTED         0    DENIED     GRANTED IN PART             □ OTHER
            APPLICATION:                 SETTLE ORDER                    SUBMIT ORDER

            CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:        INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN      FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT       □ REFERENCE

            190088/2019 SASSIER, COLLIN N vs. A.O. SMITH WATER PRODUCTS CO                            Page 5 of 5
            Motion No. 005

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