FARNSWORTH v. ALLIED GLOVE CORPORATION

No. 91731.

2009 Ohio 3890

Robert Farnsworth, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Allied Glove Corporation, et al., Defendants-Appellees.

Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth District, Cuyahoga County.

RELEASED: August 6, 2009.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Joseph J. Cirilano, Diana Nickerson Jacobs, Charles J. McLeigh, Mark C. Meyer, David B. Rodes, Goldberg, Persky & White, P.C., 1030 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219-6295, John J. Duffy, John J. Duffy & Associates, 23823 Lorain Road, Brendan Place, Suite 270, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070, Attorneys for Appellants.

Allied Glove Corporation, c/o Stephen R., 4750 US Steel Tower, 600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, For Allied Glove Corporation.

Irene C. Keyse-Walker, Tucker, Ellis & West, LLP, 1150 Huntington Building, 925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1475, For Abex Corporation.

Shawn P. George, George & Lorensen, 1526 Kanawha Boulevard, E., Charleston, West Virginia 25311, For Aetna Insulated Wire Company.

Matthew C. O'Connell, Sutter, O'Connell & Farchione, 3600 Erieview Tower, 1301 East 9th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, For Anchor Packing Company, et al.

Kevin C. Alexandersen, Daniel J. Michalec, Gallagher Sharp, Bulkley Building, 7th Floor, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, For Argo Packing Company, et al.

Christopher M. Stevens, Mark I. Wallach, Calfee, Halter & Griswold, LLP, 1400 McDonald Investment Center, 800 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2688, For Bondex International, Inc..

Bruce P. Mandel, Kurt S. Sigfried, Ulmer & Berne, LLP, 1660 West 2nd Street, Suite 1100, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-1448, For Borg-Warner Corporation.

Nina I. Webb-Lawton, Richard D. Schuster, Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, 52 East Gay Street, Post Office Box 1008, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1008, For Certain Teed Corporation, et al..

Lorraine Debose, Bulkley King, 1400 Fifth Third Center, 600 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, For Chevron Corporation.

Eric R.I. Cottle, Nicholas P. Vari, Kirkpatrick, Lockhart, Nicholson, Graham, LLP, Henry W. Oliver Building, 535 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2312, For Crane Company, Inc..

Timothy M. Fox, Ulmer & Berne, LLP, 88 East Broad Street, Suite 1600, Columbus, Ohio 43215, For Didier-Taylor Refractories, et al..

Joni M. Mangino, Zimmer Kunz Professional, LLC, 3300 US Steel Tower, 600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, For Eichleay Corporation.

Nichol M. Schoenfeld, John E. Sullivan, Baker & Hostetler, 3200 National City Center, 1900 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-3485, For Ericsson, Inc..

Dennis A. Watson, Grogan, Graffam, McKinley, P.C., Four Gateway Center, 12th Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-1009, For F.B. Wright Company of Pittsburgh.

Randal L. Solomon, Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, 52 East Gay Street, Post Office Box 1008, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1008, For Foseco, Inc.

Reginald S. Kramer, Oldham & Dowling, 195 South Main Street, Suite 300, Akron, Ohio 44308-1314, Susan Squire Box, Roetzel & Andress, 222 South Main Street, Akron, Ohio 44308, For General Motors Corporation, et al..

James F. Israel, Israel, Wood, Puntil & Grimm, 444 Liberty Avenue, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-1227, For General Refractories Company.

Ruth A. Antinone, Willman & Arnold, LLP, 705 McKnight Park Drive, Post Office Box 15276, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237, For George V. Hamilton, Inc., et al..

Diane L. Feigi, Edward D. Papp, Baker & Hostetler, 3200 National City Center, 1900 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-3485, Robin E. Harvey, Baker & Hostetler, 312 Walnut Street, Suite 2650, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-4038, For Georgia-Pacific Corporation.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, c/o James Boyazis, Agent, 1144 East Market Street, Akron, Ohio 44316, For The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

L. John Argento, Stephen R. Mlinac, Anne L. Wilcox, Swartz Campbell, L.L.C., 4750 US Steel Tower, 600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, For Hinchliffe & Keener, Inc..

Holly Olarczuk-Smith, Gallagher Sharp, Sixth Floor, Bulkley Building, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, For Ingersoll-Rand Company.

Stephen H. Daniels, McMahon Degulis, LLP, The Caxton Building, Suite 650, 812 Huron Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, For John Crane, Inc..

Laura Kingsley Hong, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP, 4900 Key Tower, 127 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, For Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation.

Lori S. Muldoon, Pullin, Fowler & Flanagan, PLLC, 901 Quarrier Street, Charleston, West Virginia 25301, For Lockheed Martin Corporation, et al..

William D. Bonezzi, Kevin O. Kadlec, Joseph T. Ostrowski, Bonezzi, Switzer, Murphy & Polito Co., 1300 East Ninth Street, Suite 1950, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1501, Timothy G. Sweeney, 13363 Madison Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107, For Mahoning Valley Supply Company.

C. Richard McDonald, Jennifer Sardina, Davis & Young, 1200 Fifth Third Center, 600 Superior Avenue, East, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2654, For Nock Refractories Company.

Kenneth F. Krawczak, Swartz Campbell, LLC, The Illuminating Building, 55 Public Square, Suite 1120, Cleveland, Ohio 44113, For Okonite Company.

Christina Tuggey Hidek, Sutter, O'Connell & Farchione, 3600 Erieview Tower, 1301 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1831, For P & H Equipment, Inc..

Barbara E. Machin, Bunda Stutz & Dewitt, PLL, 3295 Levis Commons Boulevard, Perrysburg, Ohio 43551, For P & H Mining Equipment, Inc..

Edward O. Patton, Mansour, Gavin, Gerlack & Manos, 55 Public Square, Suite 2150, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-1994, For Pfizer, Inc..

David A. Schaefer, McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Company, 1800 Midland Building, 101 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, For Rapid-American Corporation.

Jennifer A. Riester, Weston Hurd, LLP, The Tower at Erieview, 1301 East Ninth Street, Suite 1900, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-1862, For Rockwell International Corporation.

Samuel R. Martillotta, Mansour, Gavin, Gerlack & Manos, 55 Public Square, Suite 2150, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-1994, For Simplex Technologies, Inc..

Robert E. Zulandt III, Ulmer Berne, LLP, 1660 West 2nd Street, Suite 1100, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-1448, For The Gage Company.

James D. Vail, Schneider Smeltz Ranney & Lafond, 1111 Superior Avenue, Suite 1000, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, For The Mau-Sherwood Supply Company.

Richard C. Polley, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, Two PPG Place, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-5402, For The Sager Corporation.

Edmund Olszewski, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, Two PPG Place, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-5402, For Thermo Electric Company.

Treco Construction Services, Inc., c/o CT Corporation Systems, 1300 East Ninth Street, Suite 1010, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, For Treco Construction Services, Inc..

John J. Repcheck, Marks, O'Neill, O'Brien & Courtney, P.C., Gulf Tower-Suite 3200, 707 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, For Union Boiler Company.

Union Carbide Corporation, c/o CT Corporation System, 1300 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, Attorneys for Appellees.

Before: Boyle, J., Kilbane, P.J., and Sweeney, J.


JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION

MARY J. BOYLE, J.

{¶ 1} The central question presented in this case is a narrow one, namely, who has the burden in a lung-cancer asbestos action to prove that an exposed person is a smoker as defined by R.C. 2307.91(DD). Plaintiffs-appellants, Robert and Betty Farnsworth, claim that defendants-appellees must prove, through competent medical authority, that Robert was a smoker. Defendants-appellees maintain that...

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