Document 1geNvJjaX8m6KrVrERq19Oy3d

FILE NAME: Calaveras (CALV) DATE: 1992 DOC#: CALV010 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Amended Response to Plaintiff Interrogatories 1 PATRICK J. HAGAN, ESQ. CA BAR NO. 68264 OWEN E. BAYLIS, ESQ. CA BAR NO. 138392 2 AKINPCrAoIfDe,ssiGIoAnNaUlNZCIoOr,porCaAtUiDoLnE & HUBERT 200 Webster Street, Suite 200 3 P.O. Box 1828 Oakland, California 94604-0828 4 Telephone (510) 465-5212 5 Attorneys for Defendant CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. 6 7 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA 8 IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO 9 10 IN RE: 11 COMPLEX ASBESTOS LITIGATION 12 13 14 / CASE NO.: 828684 DEFENDANT CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, L T D .'S AMENDED RESPONSES TO PLAINTIFF'S STANDARD INTERROGATORIES 15 PROPOUNDING PARTY: Plaintiff 16 RESPONDING PARTY: Defendant, CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. 17 SET NUMBER: Two 18 PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 19 NOW COMES Defendant, CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. by and through 20 its attorneys, Kincaid, Gianunzio, Caudle & Hubert, and in answer 21 to Plaintiff's Standard Interrogatories, states as follows: 22 The following responses are based upon facts known or believed 23 to be true by CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. at the time of answering these 24 interrogatories. The information sought by Plaintiff in these 25 interrogatories has occurred many years prior and is, therefore, 26 difficult or impossible to secure or reconstruct. Pursuant to the 27 guidelines established by General Order 29 (the "Order"), CALAVERAS 28 ASBESTOS, LTD. hereby provides information relevant to the few cases JO 1 subject to the Order, in which it is a defendant. CALAVERAS 2 ASBESTOS, LTD. reserves the right to amend or supplement these 3 responses to plaintiff's standard interrogatories as new information 4 becomes available to it, or if errors are discovered. CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. sets forth these answers, which 5 6 are limited by time and place. First, these answers are limited 7 to the time periods in which CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. produced raw 8 asbestos. Second, these answers are limited to those sites, 9 identified in cases subject to the Order, at which asbestos produced 10 by CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. was allegedly stored, shipped, or used. 11 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. further maintains that these interrogatories ask defendants to specify facts which can only be 12 drawn from its discovery of various plaintiff's or decedent's 13 14 medical records, employment records or other discovery relating to work history. Therefore, although defendant CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, 15 LTD. is providing responses to plaintiff's standard interrogatories 16 herein, discovery is continuing and may alter the extent of 17 information which may be available to CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD., in 18 formulating its response to these interrogatories. 19 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS LTD. reserves the right to amend these answers as informa 20 tion becomes available to it. 21 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. was not a party to this litigation 22 when General Order 29 and the interrogatories attached to that order 23 were adopted. Thus, CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. has never had an 24 opportunity to appear and be heard in connection with that order, 25 nor has CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. ever been served with a copy of 26 that order or with its interrogatories. CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. 27 28 -so 2 therefore objects, on Due Process grounds, to being required to 1 2 answer General Order 29 interrogatories. 3 These interrogatories contain instructions, definitions, 4 compound, conjunctive, or disjunctive questions, and subparts in 5 violation of C.C.P. 2030(c)(5), which was enacted subsequent to the adoption of these interrogatories by General Order 29. Since 6 7 these General Order 29 interrogatories are not judicial counsel form interrogatories, which are exempted from C.C.P. 2030(c)(5), 8 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. objects to these interrogatories in their 9 entirety. CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. also objects on that basis 10 specifically to answering the subparts and sub-subparts included 11 in the General Order interrogatories. 12 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. provides these answers without waiving 13 the attorney client or work product objections. 14 ANSWERS TO INTERROGATORIES 15 INTERROGATORY N O . 1 : 16 (a) Daryl Larsen 17 (b) P.O. Box 127, Copperopolis, California 95228 18 (c) Controller 19 (d) November 10, 1975. Daryl Larsen has been Controller of 20 Calaveras Asbestos, Ltd. since its inception. 21 INTERROGATORY NO. 2 : 22 No. 23 INTERROGATORY NO. 3 : *24 No. 25 INTERROGATORY NO. 4 : 26 No. 27 28 //// jo. 3 1 INTERROGATORY NO . 5: 2 No. 3 INTERROGATORY NO. 6 : 4 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. is not now and never was a corporation; 5 consequently, it has no corporate records. However, to the 6 extent that CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. has records, they are 7 located at O'Byrne's Ferry Road, Copperopolis, California. 8 The custodian of records is Mr. Daryl Larsen, Controller, 9 Calaveras Asbestos, Ltd., P.O. Box 127, Copperopolis, Califor 10 nia, 95228. 11 INTERROGATORY NO. 7 : 12 (a) Yes ; December 15, 1975 - December 31, 1987. 13 (b) Yes; December 15, 1975 - December 31, 1987. 14 (c) Yes; December 19, 1975 - January 1988. 15 <d) No. 16 (e) No. 17 (f) Yes; December 19, 1975 - January 1988 . 04 18 (g) Yes; December 19, 1975 - January 27, 1988 . 19 (h) Y e s ; December 19, 1975 - January 27, 1988. INTERROGATORY NO. 8 : 20 (a)-(g) No. 21 22 INTERROGATORY NO. 9 : (a.) -- (<g) Between December, 1975 and December, 1987, this 23 defendant mined and milled raw chrysotile asbestos. 24 A few sales were made in 1975, and continued until 25 existing inventory was sold by January, 1988. The 26 asbestos fiber was sold under the name "Calaveras 27 Asbestos, Ltd." From 1975 until 1980 this defendant 28 :5iTo 4 L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 n10 12 13 14 (h) 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 :<o mined, milled and sold grades 4T, 5K, 5R, 6D, 7D, 7M and 7R; after 1980 only grades 4T, 5R and 6D were mined, milled or sold. The typical chemical composi tion of the fibers was Mg3 (Si205) (OH)4. The fibers were white in color. CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. did not color code raw asbestos fibers. It packaged raw asbestos fibers in bags which, during various periods of time, contained either a green (4T), brown (5K or 5R) or black or blue stripe (6D) . CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. never sought to be included on a U.S. Government "Qualified Products List" and has no knowledge of its raw asbestos fibers ever being on such a list. Cases subject to the Order have not implicated any sales of raw asbestos fibers to any of the categories of purchaser identified in the interrogatory. CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. objects to this interrogatory to the extent that it calls for irrelevant informa tion. Subject to its objection, CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, l t d . responds that shipments of raw asbestos fiber sold to Connell Brothers of San Francisco were made between late 1975 and January, 1988, in sealed, ocean going containers. These raw asbestos fibers were sold under the name CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. refers to its answer to Interrogatory No. 6, in regard to records of such sales. Discovery is continuing. 5 1 (i) Sales records, Material Safety Data Sheets, geological 2 analyses. Please refer to answer to interrogatory No. 6. 3 4 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 0 ; 5 Not applicable. INTERROGATORY NO. 1 1 ; 6 7 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. did not enter into any exclusive 8 distributorships. 9 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 2 : CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. did not enter into any re-branding 10 agreements, as defined in the interrogatory. 11 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 3 : 12 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. did not enter into any re-branding 13 agreements, as defined in the interrogatory. 14 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 4 : 15 No. 16 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 5 : 17 Not applicable. 18 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 6 : 19 Yes. (a)-(c) From 1975 until February, 1987 each bag of 20 asbestos fiber distributed by this defendant had printed on 21 it a warning mandated by the Occupational Safety & Health 22 Administration of the United States Department of Labor. 23 Between 1975 and approximately 1980 or 1981, the following 24 warning was printed on each bag: 25 CAUTION 26 Contains Asbestos Fibers Avoid Creating Dust 27 Breathing Asbestos Dust May Cause Serious Bodily Harm 28 6 1 Thereafter, each bag of asbestos fiber distributed by this 2 defendant had printed on it the following warning mandated by 3 the Occupational Safety & Health Administration of the United 4 States Department of Labor: 5 DANGER Contains Asbestos Fibers 6 Avoid Creating Dust 7 Cancer and Lung Disease Hazard The warning language was on the front of the bag and was in 8 9 black or brown or green or blue letters on a white ground. The words, "Caution" and "Danger" were in capital letters, 5/16" 10 in height. The remaining words were in capital letters and 11 lower case letters. The capital letters were 3/16" in height 12 while the lower case letters were 1/8" in height. In addition, 13 the word "asbestos" appeared twice on the front panel of the 14 bag as part of the name "Calaveras Asbestos, Ltd." and one time 15 by itself. The word "asbestos" appeared on each side panel 16 as part of the name, "Calaveras Asbestos, Ltd." 17 (d) Sample bags are in the possession of our attorneys, Hinshaw 18 & Culbertson, 222 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois. 19 INTERROGATORY NO, 1 7 : 20 Not applicable. 21 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 8 : 22 On March 25, 1992, Mr. Gordon Coats, the general manager of 23 CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD., was deposed by the plaintiffs' law 24 firm of Cartwright, Slobodin, Bokelman, Borowsky, Wartnick, 25 Moore & Harris, Inc., 101 California Street, Suite 2600, San 26 Francisco, California, 94111, in the Tena Ann Jovner v. 27 28 UO 7 1 Ravbestos Manhattan, et al. (San Francisco Superior Court No. 2 907463) case. 3 INTERROGATORY NO. 1 9 : 4 No. 5 INTERROGATORY N O . 20: 6 This defendant advertised only in a trade publication entitled 7 "Asbestos." The publication "Asbestos" is as equally available 8 to plaintiffs as it is to CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. A sample 9 advertisement was provided to plaintiff attorneys Cartwright, 10 Slobodin, Bokelman, Borowsky, Wartnick, Moore & Harris, Inc., 101 California Street, Suite 2600, San Francisco, California, 11 12 94111 on about March 25, 1992. INTERROGATORY NO. 21: 13 No. U INTERROGATORY NO. 22 : 15 Not applicable. 16 INTERROGATORY NO. 23: 17 No. 18 INTERROGATORY NO. 24: 19 20 Not applicable. INTERROGATORY NO. 25: 21 No. 22 23 1111 24 nn 25 nn 26 nn 27 nn 28 nn 8 1 INTERROGATORY NO. 26: 2 Not applicable. 3 DATED: 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 1-67\oeb\calavera.*\ 18C579in.ans 28 uo KINCAID, GIANUNZIO, CAUDLE & HUBERT Bv: ^ Owen E. Baylis, Esq. Attorneys for Defendant CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. 9 1 VERIFICATION 2 I, Daryl Larsen, the undersigned say: 3 I have read the foregoing document(s); 4 To the extent that the information set forth in the foregoing 5 document(s) is personally known to me, the information is true and 6 correct to the best of my knowledge; 7 To the extent that the information set forth in the foregoing 8 document(s) is not known to me, but is required by law to be provided 9 in said responses, I believe the responses to be correct. 10 To the extent that the responses state legal conclusions, the 11 responses have been prepared by counsel for Calaveras Asbestos, 12 Ltd., based on their work product and other information known to 13 them, and are not within my personal knowledge. 14 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State 15 of California, that the foregoing is true and correct. 16 17 1992 at (Jq J //S 18 19 20 21 4 k - ^ ------------- Daryl Larsen 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 IRlTo 9 . 1 PROOF OF SERVICE BY MAIL rC.C.P. 1013a,. 2015.51 2 I, the undersigned, declare: 3 That I am employed in the City of Oakl<and, County of 4 Alameda, State of California; that I am over the age of eighteen 5 years and not a party to the within cause; that my business address 6 is 200 Webster Street, Suite 200, Oakland, California 94607-3789. 7 8 That on today's date I served the attached: DEFENDANT CALAVERAS ASBESTOS, LTD. 'S AMENDED RESPONSES 9 TO PLAINTIFF'S STANDARD INTERROGATORIES, SET NUMBER 2 10 on the parties in said cause, by placing a true copy of each 11 document enclosed in a sealed envelope with postage thereon fully 12 prepaid, in the United States mail at Oakland, California, addressed 13 as follows: 14 Harry F. Wartnick, Esq. 15 Cartwright, Slobodin, et al. 101 California Street, Suite 2600 16 San Francisco, CA 94111 17 (SEE ATTACHED LIST A) 18 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of 19 the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. 20 21 Dated: August 31, 1992 22 Dann R. Rhone 23 24 25 26 27 1-67\oebV aiavera.s\d^rhor>e pos 28 '10 l R,LT. 1 LIST A 2 BRUCE L AHNFELT ESQ 3 PO BOX 6078 NAPA CA 94581 4 ALAN R BRAYTON ESQ 5 BRAYTON GISVOLD & HARLEY 999 GRANT AVENUE 6 PO BOX 2109 NOVATO CA 94948 7 FINNEY 8 2033 N MAIN STREET PERI EXECUTIVE CENTER 9 SUITE 430 WALNUT CREEK CA 94596 10 CASEY GERRY CASEY ET AL 11 PO BOX 2005 ROHNERT PARK CA 94927-2005 12 LAW OFFICES OF JACK CLAPPER ,13 100 SHORELINE HIGHWAY BUILDING B 14 SUITE 300 MILL VALLEY CA 94941 15 CHRISTOPHER E GRELL ESQ 16 THE MONADNOCK BUILDING 685 MARKET STREET 17 SUITE 340 SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105 18 LAW OFFICES OF JEFFREY B HARRISON 19 ONE DANIEL BURNHAM COURT SUITE 220C 20 SAN FRANCISCO CA 94109 21 GERALD STERNS 280 UTAH STREET 22 SAN FRANCISCO CA 94103 23 J KENNETH LYNCH ESQ HALLEY CORNELL & LYNCH 24 525 MARKET STREET SUITE 3700 25 SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105-2745 26 27 28