John Crane Can’t Shake Asbestos Punitive Damage Claim

Gasket maker John Crane Inc. failed to shake asbestos workplace exposure claims filed by the estate of a man who died of mesothelioma.

The fact that John Crane ceased producing asbestos-containing parts decades ago doesn’t bar claims for punitive damages, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina said.

From the mid-1970s until 1990, Wade Gore worked at the Dupont Plant in Leland, N.C., where he serviced valves, pumps and gaskets.

Some of the gaskets Gore worked on were manufactured by John Crane.

The estate, which pressed the claim after Gore’s death, presented enough evidence to proceed ...