Buttram v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp.

*524Opinion

BAXTER, J.

I. Introduction.

Defendant and appellant Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation (OCF) appealed from a products liability judgment in the amount of $1,519,475 entered against it in a trial involving plaintiff and respondent James But-tram’s exposure to OCF’s asbestos-containing products and his consequent contraction of pleural mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused form of lung cancer. In an order filed on October 17,1996, we designated this matter the lead case for deciding the issue of when a cause of action seeking damages for personal injuries resulting from a latent disease such as…