Cathleen A. and Emmett O. Camplin v. ACandS, Inc.

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANTS             ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEES

LINDA GEORGE                         SEE APPENDIX A
W. RUSSELL SIPES                    
Laudig George Rutherford & Sipes         
Indianapolis, Indiana                        
 
 
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA CATHLEEN A. and EMMETT O. CAMPLIN, ) ) Appellants (Plaintiffs Below ), ) Cause No. 49S02-0202-CV-128 ) in the Supreme Court v. ) ) ACandS, INC., et al., ) Cause No. 49A02-0106-CV-429 ) in the Court of Appeals Appellees (Defendants Below ). ) )

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APPEAL FROM THE MARION SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable Kenneth H. Johnson, Judge
Cause No. 49D02-9501-MI-0001-375

 
May 17, 2002

SHEPARD, Chief Justice.
 

    Cathleen Camplin allegedly contracted a disease as a result of contact with asbestos fibers brought home on the person and clothing of her husband Emmett, a union insulator. The trial court dismissed the Camplins' suit on the basis that Mrs. Camplin lacked standing under Indiana's Product Liability Act.

    The Indiana Court of Appeals invited us to accept jurisdiction over the Camplins' appeal because it involves the same issue as another case in which we had granted transfer. See Stegemoller v. ACandS, Inc., 749 N.E.2d 1216, 1220 (Ind. Ct. App. 2001), transfer granted, 761 N.E.2d 423 (Ind. 2001). We accepted jurisdiction, and now hold that Mrs. Camplin has standing as a bystander under the Act. See footnote

 
Analysis

     The Act governs actions by users or consumers against manufacturers or sellers for physical harm caused by products. Ind. Code Ann. § 34-20-1-1 (West 1999). For purposes of the Act, "consumer" includes "any bystander injured by the product who would reasonably be expected to be in the vicinity of the product during its reasonably expected use." Id. § 34-6-2-29. Who qualifies under this statutory definition is a legal question, to be decided by the court. Estate of Shebel v. Yaskawa Elec. Am., Inc., 713 N.E.2d 275, 279 (Ind. 1999).

    We hold today in Stegemoller v. ACandS, Inc., No. 49S02-0111-CV-593, slip op. (Ind. May 17, 2002), that a plaintiff who allegedly contracted a disease as a result of contact with asbestos fibers brought home on the person and clothing of her husband has standing as a bystander under the Act. Our reasoning in that case applies here, and we reach the same result: taking into account the nature of asbestos products, Mrs. Camplin has a cognizable claim as a bystander under the Act.

    
Conclusion

    We reverse the dismissal of this action and direct that it be reinstated.

Dickson, Sullivan, Boehm, and Rucker, JJ., concur.
 
 
APPENDIX A: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEES

 
For ACandS, Inc.; North American Refractories Co.
SONIA C. DAS
SUE MEHRINGER
LISA DILLMAN
Lewis & Wagner
Indianapolis, Indiana

For Amchem Products; C.E. Thurston; Certain Teed Corp.; Flexitallic; T&N, PLC; Union Carbide
MICHAEL BERGIN
DANIEL LONG
Locke Reynolds LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana

For Oakfabco, Inc.
JOHN L. LISHER
Osborne Hiner & Lisher
Indianapolis, Indiana

For Rapid American; Flintkote Co.
DOUGLAS B. KING
JEFFREY McKEAN
ROGER ORLUP
Wooden & McLaughlin, LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana

For Combustion Engineering; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical
CHRISTOPHER LEE
Kahn Dees Donovan & Kahn
Evansville, Indiana

For Foster Wheeler LLC; A.P. Green; Harbison-Walker Refractories Co.
JASON L. KENNEDY
Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney
Chicago, Illinois

For Fargo Insulation
JAMES E. ROCAP
JEFFREY B. FETCH
Rocap Witchger LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana
                                
 
 
 
For D.B. Riley, Inc.
STACY ALEXANDER
REGINALD BISHOP
Roberts & Bishop
Indianapolis, Indiana
 
For BMW Constructors, Inc.
EDWARD HARNEY
Hume Smith Geddes Green & Simmons, LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana
 
For General Electric Co.
KEVIN KNIGHT
Ice Miller
Indianapolis, Indiana
 
For General Refractories; Grefco
RANDALL NYE
SCOTT LOITZ
Beckman, Kelly & Smith
Hammond, Indiana
 
For Central Supply Co.
MARY K. REEDER
CHARLES C. DOUGLAS
Riley Bennett & Egloff, LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana

Footnote: Defendants Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. and North American Refractories Co. have filed for bankruptcy, and this decision is thus subject to applicable rules of bankruptcy law as to them.