Document Md9K5Zz9XYJ2op67pR1JrJvk

MO, 39-10294-F HELEN GRACE 300KER and EL2Y M. BOOKER, at al. VS. FIBREBOARD CORPORATION, at al. 5 $ 5 $ IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS 116TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY'S ANSWTg OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS* FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES TO: Plaintiffs, by and through thair attomay of record, Mr. Russall W. Budd, Baron & Sudd, 8333 Douglas Avanua, Suite 1000, Dallas, Taxas 75225. NOW COMES, Dafandant UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY, and pursuant to tha Taxas Rules of Civil Procedure files these Answers and Objections to Plaintiffs' First Sat of Interrogatories to Dafandant United States Gypsum Company. OPENING STATEMENT AND OBJECTIONS Dafandant United States Gypsum Company objects to these Interrogatories on tha grounds that they are overly broad, vague, not relevant, burdensome and amount to harassment. without waiving any objection which it may have, this Defendant provides the following information: Defendant, United States Gypsum Company, is engaged in the manufacture and sale of refractory products, not asbestos, asbestos-containing or insulation products. These products were designed and intended for use by heavy industry, not for building construction or insulation. During the relevant period of time, 1947 through 1976, only a small minority of the products which this UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY * S ANSWERS AMD 0EJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES - Page 1 Defendant sold contained asbestos. products never contained asbestos. The vast majority of its During such period, this Defendant maintained no records nor had any direct Knowledge concerning the operations of any company acquired by this Defendant, by any means, as a subsidiary, and no information concerning such is included in its answers. In an attempt to respond to these requests, this Defendant provides the answers given subject to the above qualifications and limitations and for the relevant period of time of this Defendant's manufacture and sale of asbestos-containing refractory products of 1947 through 1976. Respectfully submitted DeHay t Blanchard Plaza of the Americas 600 North Pearl Street 2500 South Tower, LB 201 Oallas, Texas 75201-2860 (214) 953-1313 tfMIISD., STATES Q'ifSSSh .CTHFAKTS AflSWERS AflP n OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES - ,, 2 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the above and foregoing document has been forvarded to Plaintiffs' counsel, Mr. Russell w. Sudd, Baron & Budd, 8333 Douglas Avenue, Suite iccc, Dallas, Texas 75225, of record by CerTlfledHfcir,^return receipt requested, on the v 1 day of April, 1990. " - 1,'k GA&? D. iliiSTON / UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY'S ANSWERS AMD OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS1 FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES - 'Page 3 "aMmi PREFATORY STATEMENT 'Jnited States Gypsum Company (harainaftar "U. S. Gypsum") has., to the bast of its abilities, gathered non-privileged documents into a document repository for inspection by Plaintiffs' counsel in response to requests for production served asbestos liti gation. These documents provide information thaff^supplements and expands upon that provided in these answers to Interrogatories. Accordingly, by way of further response to these Interrogatories, U. S. Gypsum hereby offers to make available these documents at a mutually convenient time at its offices at 101 South wackar Drive, Chicago, Illinois. In giving its responses to Interrogatories as to asbestos* containing products, U. S. Gypsum refers to products containing commercial asbestos as part of their formulation and to the type of commercial asbestos used as part of the formulation. QftHSIIgHS U. s. Gypsum objects to the manner in which Plaintiff has defined U. S. Gypsum to the extent that Plaintiff purports to include in its definition of U. S. Gypsum predecessor*in*interest, subsidiaries, successor*in*interest and the corporate Defendant. In that U. S. Gypsum Company is the named Defendant, this definition is overly broad and would require U. S. Gypsum to engage in unduly burdensome research, divulge privileged information and UNITED STATES GYPSDlT COMPANY ' S ANSWERS AMD OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS* FIRST SET Of INTERROGATORIES - Page 4 produce privileged documents. This Defendant, United States Gypsum company, responds to these Interrogatories on behalf of itself. U. S. Gypsum further objects to these Interrogatories to the extent they seek information or documents protected by the attorney-client privilege and the work product rule* and to the extent they seek trial preparation or expert materials or docu ments. Finally, U. S. Gypsum objects to these Interrogatories to the extent they ask for "identification** of voluminous documents on the ground that they are overly broad, unduly burdensome and not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. As set forth infra. U. S. Gypsum will produce documents which are the proper subjects of an appropriate document request. INTERROGATORY HO, li State Defendant's proper legal name, the present address of Defendant's principal place of business, all states in which Defendant is incorporated, and all states in which Defendant is licensed to do business. ftKSHS?..TS. imBMfiMPBX HQi. 1* This defendant's proper legal name is United States Gypsum company. Its principal place of business is 101 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. BIIP STATES SYPS.Vli. COMPANY.' S. AMgwtRS AMP OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS* FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES - Page 5 With respect to tha statas in which this defendant is incorporated this Defendant responds as follows: Date Ingsjraaca&sfl Data Dissolved Name S1A1: 12/27/01 08/23/20 08/12/20 12/24/36 08/--/52 02/04/66 07/01/66 08/23/20 10/14/27 12/24/36 08/--/52 02/04/66 07/01/66 --/--/ -- United Statas Gypsum Company Avery Gypsum Company United Statas Gypsum Company United states Gypsum Company United States Gypsum Company USG Corporation United States Gypsum Company NJ NJ * C * DE DE With raspact to all statas in which this Defendant is licansed to do businass, objaction. This Interrogatory is ovarly broad, irralavant, immaterial, and is not raasonably calculatad to lead to tha discovary of admissible avidanca. without waiving this objaction, this Dafandant has baan licansad to do businass in the Stata of Taxas sinca 1923. lyiERBQg&TQBX -HO.t. 2'Plaasa identify by trada or brand nans aach asbestos* containing product manufactured and/or sold by Dafandant and/or Defendant's predecessors. For each product identified, plaasa state following: (a) A description of the physical appearance of the product; (b) The address, including city and state, of the plants at which the product was manufactured and/or packaged; (c) The states in which the product entered the stress of cosaerce; UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY'S ANSWERS AND OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES Page 6 (d) The annual dollar amount of production of tha product at each of tha location* indicated in response to Interrogatory No. 2(b) from 1940 through tha present; (e) The percentaga of the total production of the product for which each plant indicated ~ln response to Interrogatory No. 2(b) was respon sible. T.3.iyTSRR<KAX9RV Wbt 2 (a) See attached Exhibit No. 1. (b) See attached Exhibit No. 2. (c) U. S. Gypsum does not possess any records maintained in the normal course of business which identify who the ultimate user of the product was or where it was installed, with that limitation, U. S. Gypsum responds as follows: Prior to 1966, U. S. Gypsum sold its construction products, some of which may have contained small amounts of asbestos, exclusively through independent dealers. Beginning in about 1966, U. S. Gypsum sold its construction products either directly to independent contractors, independent distributors or, as had previously been the custom, through independent dealers. This Defendant has no sales records for the years prior to 1965, other than records of gross sales of individual products by plant. Sales records thereafter are contained in computer printouts. Records of products which the plaintiff can UNITED STATES GYPSPM COMPANY'S ANSWERS AND OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES - Page 7 establish were relevant to the subject matter of this lawsuit will be made available for inspection at a mutually convenient time at 101 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, pursuant to a properly filed request to produce. (d) Objection. This Interrogatory is overly broad in scope of time. This Defendant discontinued manufacturing products with asbestos as part of their formulations in 1977. Inqui ries into years, subsequent to 1977, will not lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Without waiving this objection, non-privileged, responsive documents, to the extent they exist, will be made available to Plaintiff at a mutually convenient time through U. S. Gypsum Company's offices at 10l South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. e) Objection. This Interrogatory is vague and ambiguous. In addition, this Interrogatory is overly broad in scope of time. This Defendant discontinued manufacturing products with asbestos as pert of their formulations in 1977. Inquiries into years, subsequent to 1977, will not lead to the discovery of admissible evidence, without waiving these objections, non-privileged, responsive documents, to the extent they exist, will be made available to Plaintiff at a mutually convenient time through U. s. Gypsum Company's offices at 101 South wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY'S ANSWERS AMD OBJECTIONS TO PIAINTIFFS' FIRST SET QP INTERROGATORIES - Page 8 INTERROGATORY NO. 3: For each product identified in Answer to Interrogatory No. 2, please identify the location at which each decision was made concerning the following subjects: (a) Testing of the product for quality and safety; (b) Advertising of the product; (c) Marketing of the product; ^ (d) Placement of warning labels on the product; (e) Design of the product; and (f) Manufacture of the product. AtfSWSS. 2 Objection. This Interrogatory is vague, ambiguous, overly broad, speculative and not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Without waiving this objection and with respect to 3(b) and (c), see attached Exhibit No. 3. with respect to 3(a), (d-f), non-privileged, responsive documents, to the extent they exist, will be made available to Plaintiff at a mutually convenient time through U. S. Gypsum Company's offices at 101 south wacJeer Drive, Chicago, Illinois. For such product listed in Answer to Interrogatory No. 2, please identify the location at which each of the following activities was conducted: (a) Testing of the product for quality and safety; (b) Advertising of the product; UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY'S ANSWERS AND OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST SET OF INTERROGATORIES - Page 9 (c) Marketing of the product; (d) Placement of warning labels on the product; (a) Oasign of tha product; and (f) Manufactura of tha product. ANSWER TO INTERROGATORY NO. 4; Objaction. This Intarrogatory is vague, ambiguous, overly broad, speculative and not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence, without waiving this objection and with respect to "tasting of tha product for quality," such tasting may have occurred at each manufacturing location, without waiving this objection and with respect to 4(b) and (c), see attached Exhibit No. 3. With respect to 4(a) and (d) - (f), non-privileged, responsive documents, to the extent they exist, will be made available to Plaintiff at a mutually convenient time through U. S. Gypsum Company's offices at 101 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY'S ANSWERS AMP OBJECTIONS TO PLAINTIFFS' FIRST SET Of INTERROGATORIES - Page 10 EXHIBIT "1" ASBESTOS CONTAINING PRODUCTS Acoustical Piasters - grayish-white Miscellaneous Specialty Plastars - whit# to off-white, plus some pastels for two products Fireproofing - grayish-white Fireproofing Plasters - white to off-white Ceiling Tile - white to off-white Texture Products - white to off-white Paste Speckling Putty, Pipecoverings, Joint Compounds, Rigid Block Insulation, Kortar - white to off-white siding - white, gray, ivory, green, brown Roofing - red, green, blue, brown, black and gray mm* m' : : is*# : *:o irouai Sft intil interior ->$ft Plastar : Too tr coat ; *oo :tmng Plaator ; *oo wood ft bar star - tegular EXHIBIT M2rt "wuct 'mmi Aeouatical la*tar Aeouitical Piattar Acoustical PI attar (Oatas Aporo*'ata) First LJSt a:atB 1*30 194*' 1*30 19*5 1*30 19*5 1*30 194*' 1*30 19*9 1*35 1*1*:^ >V 1*53 1**2 . Finish ata*tar 1930 1*33 1930 1935 Finish Piaatar 1*50 1*91 19*2 1977 19*2 1*72 19*2 1972 1**2 1*72 19*2 19*4 Finish Plastic finiah Piaster . ImuK 19** 19*9 19*2 1*4* 19*0 1*2* 19*2 19*2 19*4 19*5 19*3 19*3 19*3 19*9 19*9 19*9 19*9 19*3 19U 19*0 1*92 1950 1972 19*4 1994 1944 19*7 1944 1*51 19*7 1*72 1*52 1*9* 1943 1941 1*49 1944 1*47 1*40 1*92 1*72 1*40 anuFset.r *j uMH.'-'-l Fart Joaja i "'Aland, :a East Ne jr:; s' Jypsufi, C* Na Jr-- s *ort : x^t i saw ir-3r:;- > Fart Coosa, .; Gvetvas, Ox Eaat Chicago, . Fort Ooage, :x DM Ingnton, s' Fort Dodge, ;a Oakfiald, at Fort Oodga. * rtnom Irighton, nt Swaatnatar. lotton, MA Cypasaa, On Phiiaotionia, Fa +KKartvu.t, norton, /a Philaaiion-a. ;a Mtloausat. i Southard, OK Man Irrgnton, *r Gvo*s, on no* Irignton, nt Naeni, ut atluaukaa, ul South Cata, ca Cast Chicago, t* Haath, T Napht, UT Midland, CA Fort Oodfo, ia Oatratt, xl Suaataatar, :x kowaiand, CO Southard, 0* Plaitar City, CA Cartach, nv Sifurd, UT tdpira, nv flava baanproducad vditll thfp data, tut aalae dtoiniahad KftacantiaUy by tua id*t*90'a :<-cf : tc *coO f'Ser 'jcntrt# . `C*t!sn *t ltt*r :-.ir. name ~itC ra ZrOtut it#r 7/67; to : "so OypxvJ* itr tl/68. : "to C**ant it*!" for Machina a\>cat'on. hm mpao te ltd Top csn otaatar for :ntno Application ;7, 3 lop -utto-Uta atm oiaatar for ;.nna Appi reat!on >rrVT Ttwfvit iMNMt (aaeeoet lUKNt IHWW *ntai Exterior "in Stucco Utprfor MnSafc stum 3Mr *ort*p Nix MrmM ptHttf (Data* Approxmwta) fftit l.llt iawa ^IMUCW !*5* 1*72 *M1 '17J t*4J 1M7 *. *t*' ; ; Slit :v;j; ,:vtircf IMS IMS IMP i*ss IMS 1*57 1*50 IMS 1*71 1*55 1*30 1*30 1*30 1*30 1*33 1*33 m* 1M9 1M* 1M IMP IMP IMP IMS 1*5* IMS IMS 1*72 1*72 1M0 1*73 IMP 1*72 1*72 IMP IMP 1*72 1*72 1*70 1*72 uVOSUA, : Satroit, i Jilting, (oaten, *a Oatreit, nj taet Chieapo, :u tort Boppa, `.a Gygaua, ON Jacxxonviil*. c. wovalane, :o NOW (figntan, *T nortol*, A OtAfif.a. nr PittAdoioni*, *A Ntaatereo, .a Southard, OK S*aataatar. "t Nilsauaaa, ut Shoaia, tu Haatar Citr, CA tort Dooft, :* Oatroit, XI tmita, NV tort Ooppe. iA Gvpam, ON Nau (fiphtori, ut Oakfletd. ar Sueataater. "i (oaten, m NhUadatoh'*, 9a Nitooukaa, mi jackaonvuie, f. NhitaPatpnia, aa Norfolk, vA fast Chieapo, :u Nau (ripnton, at *aant : .. *i> * ' " *001-cat'on :c-et i-rcn s'no**d i'CCH s:iMC*ID i'JOa .sjcare' tCSOE V iCX 0 XiSTOtfl r20J X'STOMI 180 **Tfl*T TYWfl)M tpaeiatty ptaatar ilSKStt firaproafinp ttrapreafinp martial inauiatian Firaproafin* rtaatar Firapraaffnp niaatar Callinp TUa Callinp TUa Taatura Oliti .->* ;er'i Of Taatura Taatura Taatvra lOataa Appranaata) i*at ua '"men 1971 197J 1940 i94a 1944 1949 1944 1943 ItTt 1971 1944 1959 1947 1944 1944 1944 1973 1974 1974 1941 1943 1944 1947 1943 1974 lafxjfaet-r'-? out ;g E*'fa, tv "'diaoo, :a S. *i*ir*-p - a Orrv<*, li S. TflrrAcf( :* CoMieara, '( aat CMeiss, taw Irtptcr', Eapifa, tv ;v * taw Priphton, tr laat Cnieapo, t Captra, av Gypat*. OM uaiwartn, at uaiwortn, wi Gypaua, om Sypaua, Cm Swaattact'. 'i Oallaa. rx ChaaPlaa, GA Midway, a Sautn Gata, U Gypaia, om Qattaa, rx aaw Sriphton, it Sautn Gata. CA Sautn Gata, ca Oallaa, Tx Swattwatar, u Sautn Gata, ca Oallaa, tx Gypaua, OH Midway, li Maw *rfmton, tr cnaanlaa, ca 'rton u. t. Gypau wnufacturaP tnia |trPrT purauant ta tna apacificatian af Sprayar a*aarrt Carparatian. Saaw of thaaa tredjeti dip nat haw taa aa part af ttwfr fanMatlan, :-ct Hafim -i'SCCk" tar* * i TEX fwturt ?*xtur Txtur# Mint T**tgr* Mint T*tur* Mint *r >Wucti ( 9*n*rie grot*) . SptCkUrt* tty 3eovrin** ft compos'd* ;'d Block ~S.LtlOf1 3tn$ Shtnflc* <0*t* *eorexist*> L*tt chc*d 19*4 '976 1944 1975 193* 197* 199* 19*7 1935 1999 only 1973 only 19*4 197* 1949 1953 193* 1930*7 1975 t93* 197* 1943 1970 1937 1950 1971 1975 **x<ic:.r .acf Grpcun, : 0*UM, 't '9w*v, Sobtn ;j CyMJN, CH SaMiMir, ' Soutn ;i *< * ir- Sout* :*t*. .`i Grwu. GH cumbim. :i N# Irtjnjjr. s- SMttMtir, '1 Chamtc*, ;* iaHtiKtir, 'i cvM*, : Gyp***, On DM Inflfttv, NT $n**cvt*r, *( NidMV, U cnaiM> a* south c*tt, :* NM Ir'thtir, HI Gyp**i, G* ChwetM, C* SuNIMtlr, '* J*rt*y City, nj GWWi, OH Mifeay, U. OlMAlM, GA illlH, TX E**t cnie*9o, ;y JackMnvHu, fl. south G*t, a Mu Inyitoo, NT SNtMtir, *x E**t Chiee, :t Gr**f*viU, ns fMt Chicago, :* -.otet.Typ.ZIUf (Data* aeproxiaeta) L**t 1937 19*7 Posaibta otnar datos. 1940 97? ;*r**v :!/ St. a*wi, *y Sov,tn Cate. ittot Caapnt Electric reelin* Insulation ourooaa* toior* iheat and Block insulation uouid oa iapracticol. 1911 1930 190S 1939 Sftoan, : Ultenciec) i: not u product* wro node at all plant* at all tiaa ut*d. Sana of thtae product* (tad Too Trouel finiab; Oriental Interior finis* aiaatar; tad Too Cover coat f>ni*n aitatar; ad rap a*ten in* aiaatar; tad Top wood fiber Piaster t*ul*r Isaacoat; lad Top bead fiber ai**t*r seen in* *api>e*t<on Isaacoat; Coaant atastar * **ul*r, v**p cnamad to Cvpeua aiaatar 7/07, to tad Top Gypeia ftaatar Isaacoat ii/|; aid Too Caapnt Piaster for eacnino application none enan*od to tad Top Gypam Isaacoat for Nacfttn* Appucatti; too Tco StructO'Lita Gypeta Plaster for eaenin* application lasacoot; Oriental Uteri or ni*n Stucco, avrooar sorter m; snaatrock tadiant neat filler aaenina application) did not nova aaoaatoa aa part of tnair fonmiation at an nanufacturln* location* at all tiaas. spat of tno produett identified in tbit fuhtbit in a in*If lit* of approaiaotoly si* aontha, vitn uw variation duo to nunpity one store** conditions. It ie tno policy of tno oofondont to provide tni* inforaation to ail ewetoapr*. Therefore, dote of taot production approaiootoe dot* of loot tola, tfieuph U. I. Gypsies ia not cortain enatnar *naif lift fuidelineo wart atftarad to by it* cuatoatr*. taaaonaPla inyaatipitian contimiin*. ' EXHIBIT "3" Advertising for U. S. Gypsum's products has traditionally teen handled in corporate headquarters. The following persons have been identified as holding positions of primary responsibility in the area of advertising and/or promotional materials on behalf of this Defendant during the indicated periods: 1938 F. Babcock General Advertising Hanager 1939-1942 M. s. wolf 1943-1947 J. G. Maynard 1947-1948 E. W. Fish 1949 I. F. Hayaan (Deceased) 1958 A. J. watt Vice President of Advertising and Proaotion 1982 v. Abnee Manager - Proaotion Advertising 1963-1978 J. J. McLaughlin Vice President of Marketing Services 1979 w. s. Stuart vice President, Director of Marketing Services 1979-9/1/87 R. Faust vice President, Director of Corporate Marketing Services 101 South Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois 9/1/87 - 6/1/89 R. Hopper vice President, Marketing Services 6/1/89 - Present J. C. Bopp Director Marketing Services, President Marstrat The following advertising agencies have been identified as being used by Defendant in the past with respect to its produces 1950-1965 Fulton, Morrissey Co. $12 H. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 1965-1970 Gayer, Morey, Ballard (later Meyer Oswald) 645 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois ~ 1970-1972 Lennon 6 Newell/Midwest 645 M. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 1972-1976 Needhas, Harper & Steers 401 tf. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 1977-present Marstrat (In-House) STATE OF ILLINOIS ) ) SS COUNTY OF COOK VERIFICATION I, F. M. PoremsRi, declare: I an the Manager, Financial $ Accounting Services, of United States Gypsua Company, one of the above named defendants, and am authorized to make this verification for and on behalf of said corporation; I have read the foregoing Answers, Objections, and other Responses to Plaintiffs* Interrogatories and aa informed and believe that the same is true and on that ground allege that the matters therein stated are true. I declare, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct, and that this declaration was executed this /u* day . 1990. Notary Public F. M. Poreasfci