Smith v. Union Carbide Corp.

COLEMAN, Justice,

for the Court:

¶ 1. The instant case arises from a jury verdict awarding Mrs. Elsie Smith and *67other wrongful death beneficiaries monetary damages for the wrongful death of Elsie’s husband, Larry Smith. Larry, who spent most of his life working on oil rigs, died of lung cancer, and the plaintiffs filed suit against several manufacturers of various drilling additives. She claimed that her husband’s proximity to working with these products led to his lung cancer because the drilling additives contained asbestos. After a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiffs, the defendant…