BOCKRATH v. ALDRICH CHEMICAL CO., INC.

No. S071500.

86 Cal.Rptr.2d 846 (1999)

980 P.2d 398

21 Cal.4th 71

Thomas A. BOCKRATH, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. ALDRICH CHEMICAL CO., INC., et al., Defendants and Respondents.

Supreme Court of California.

July 29, 1999.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Law Offices of Raphael Metzger, Raphael Metzger, Long Beach, and James W. Parker for Plaintiff and Appellant.

Wartnick, Chaber, Harowitz, Smith & Tigerman, Harry F. Wartnick, Phillip Scott Chan, San Francisco; James Sturdevant, San Francisco; Ian Herzog, Santa Monica; Sharon Arkin, Claremont; Deborah A. David, Los Angeles; Lea-Ann Tratten, Joseph F. Harbison III, Sacramento; Moses Lebovits, Los Angeles; David A. Rosen, Los Angeles; Daniel U. Smith, Kent Field; and Christine D. Spagnoli, Santa Monica, for Consumer Attorneys of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiff and Appellant.

Anderson, McPharlin & Conners and Thomas J. Casamassima, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Smooth-On, Inc.

Arter & Hadden, Paul D. Hesse, Los Angeles, Frederick J. Ufkes, Santa Monica, Aaron M. Peck, Los Angeles, Erik L. Jackson, Anaheim; Musick, Peeler & Garrett and Paul D. Hesse, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent IIT Research Institute.

Baker & Hostetler, Richard A. Deeb, Crantson J. Williams, Los Angeles; Gray, Cary, Ware & Freidenrich, Don G. Rushing, Mary A. Lehman and Sara L. Cohen, San Diego, for Defendant and Respondent ICI Composites Inc.

Belofsky & Jenkins and Charles W. Jenkins, Torrance, for Defendants and Respondents Allied Products Corporation and Insulating Materials, Inc.

Bonne, Bridges, Mueller, O'Keefe & Nichols, Mark B. Connely, San Luis Obispo, and Alexander B.T. Cobb, Los Angeles, for Defendants and Respondents Chemical Technology Laboratories, Inc., Structural Polymer Systems, Tapmatic Corporation, the Texwipe Company and Union Rubber, Inc.

Booth, Mitchell & Strange, Kevin Callahan and Daniel M. Crowley, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Whittaker Corporation.

Brownwood, Rice & Zurawski, Luna, Brownwood & Rice and Robert S. Rucci, San Diego, for Defendant and Respondent Roly International, Inc.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, Deborah C. Prosser, Riverside, Jeffrey J. Lewis; Landels Ripley & Diamond, Sanford Svetcov, San Francisco; Thomas, Mort, Prosser & Knudsen and Peter A. Schneider, Riverside, for Defendant and Respondent General Electric Company.

Dale, Braden & Hinchcliffe and Bruce C. Gridley, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Ablestik Labs.

Federman, Gridley & Gradwohl and Bruce Gridley, Los Angeles, for Defendants and Respondents Steco Corporation and Chem-Trend, Inc.

Feldman & Shaffery, Poole & Shaffery, John Shaffery and Samuel L. Tolwin, Los Angeles, for Defendants and Respondents Illinois Tool Works, Inc., and Loctite Corporation.

Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar and Maxine J. Lebowitz, Long Beach, for Defendant and Respondent Steco Corporation.

Hawkins, Schnabel, Lindahl & Beck, Laurence H. Schnabel and Laura E. Hogan, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Dupli-Color Products Company, Inc.

Howard, Moss, Loveder, Strickroth & Walker, Theodore R. Howard and Margaret M. Parker, Santa Ana, for Defendant and Respondent Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.

Jeffrey S. Pop & Associates, Jeffrey S. Pop and Richard S. MacNaughton, Beverly Hills, for Defendant and Respondent Columbia Aluminum Products.

Kirtland & Packard, Jeffrey M. Anielski and Paul R. Cotter, Irvine, for Defendant and Respondent Crest Products Corporation.

Knapp Petersen & Clarke, Kolts & Nawa and Raymond G. Kolts, Pasadena, for Defendants and Respondents Aldrich Chemical Co., Inc., Sigma-Aldrich Corp. and Polysciences, Inc.

Lewis, D'Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard, John H. Shimada, Los Angeles, Steven R. Lewis and Judith A. Zipkin for Defendants and Respondents MTM Research Chemicals, Inc., and WD-40 Company.

McMillan & Jennings and Robert H. McMillan, Santa Ana, for Defendant and Respondent Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company.

Mendes & Mount, James W. Hunt, Richard R. Nelson, Marilyn M. Gates and Dennis S. Morris, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Turco Products, Inc.

Nelson & Teuber and Rolf F. Teuber, Mission Hills, for Defendant and Respondent Monomer-Polymer and Dajac Laboratories, Inc.

O'Neill, Lysaght & Sun and J. Jospeh Connolly, Santa Monica, for Defendant and Respondent Ferro Corporation.

Parker, Milliken, Clark, O'Hara & Samuleian, Asteghik K. Brock, Stephen T. Holzer and Michael T. Stevens, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Chem-Trend, Inc.

Perkins Coie, Ronald A. Mclntire, Mark J. Goldzweig and Steven C. Gonzalez, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn.

Prindle, Decker & Amaro, Andy J. Goetz, Kristen Dunn and Kenneth B. Prindle, Long Beach, for Defendants and Respondents Chemtronics, Inc., and Spectrum Chemical Manufacturing Corporation.

Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold, Rebecca R. Weinreich, Los Angeles, Kirk C. Jenkins, San Francisco, and Thomas B. McNutt, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Sanford Corporation.

Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold and Lily Chow, Irvine, for Defendant and Respondent Gallade Chemical, Inc.

Stall, Astor & Goldstein and Donald W. Goldstein, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent Radiator Specialty Company.

Steptoe & Johnson, Laurence F. Janssen, Kevin C. Mayer, Los Angeles, Richard K. Willard and Brian J. Leske, Wash. D.C., for Defendants and Respondents Shell Oil Company, Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific International, the Dexter Corporation, Hercules, Incorporated, Miller-Stephenson Chemical Company and H.B. Fuller Company.

Thelen, Reid & Priest, Curtis A. Cole, Fresno, Mark S. Geraghty and Matthew S. Levinson, Los Angeles, for Defendants and Respondents American Cynamid Company, J.T. Baker, Inc., Ciba-Geigy Corporation, Cytec Industries, Inc., and Mallinckrodt Chemical, Inc.


MOSK, Acting C.J.

We granted review to decide how a complaint alleging harmful long-term exposure to multiple toxins must plead causation.

Plaintiff, now deceased, contracted multiple myeloma, a form of cancer, while working at Hughes Aircraft Company from January 1973 to March 1994. His suit named at least 55 defendants, including the manufacturers of common products such as WD—10 and rubber cement, and he alleged that the disease arose through his...

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