Ramos

In this case, a metal foundry worker who developed interstitial pulmonary fibrosis brought this action (along with his wife) against a variety of companies that supplied products for use in the foundry’s manufacturing process, asserting that the suppliers’ products, when used in their intended fashion, produced harmful fumes and dust that were a substantial cause of his pulmonary illness. Defendant suppliers demurred, relying upon the then-recent Court of Appeal decision in Maxton v. Western States Metals (2012) 203 Cal.App.4th 81 [ 136 Cal.Rptr.3d 630 ] (Maxton). In Maxton , the appellate court held that under the so-called component parts doctrine set forth in the Court of Appeal decision in Artiglio v. General Electric Co. (1998) 61 Cal.App.4th 830, 838-839 [ 71 Cal.Rptr.2d 817 ] (Artiglio), a supplier of materials was not liable for injuries suffered under circumstances very similar to those involved in the present case. In reliance upon Maxton , the trial court sustained defendants’ demurrer without leave to amend.

On appeal, the Court of Appeal in the present case explicitly disagreed with the analysis and conclusion in Maxton, supra, 203 Cal.App.4th 81 , and held…