Employer Cannot Apportion Liability for Worker's Pleural Plaque to Prior Employers

A New York appellate court ruled that an employer could not apportion liability for a worker’s pleural plaque in the absence of objective medical evidence that he had contracted his condition while working for prior employers. Case: Manocchio v. ABB Combustion Engineering, No. 522436, 05/04/2017, published. Facts: Robert Manocchio worked as a boilermaker for more than 30 years. On May 8, 1999, he underwent a chest X-ray, which revealed the presence of pleural plaque, consistent with the exposure to asbestos. He then filed a workers’ compensation claim, and a workers’...