Real-Time Court Decisions and Other Developments in Asbestos Litigation.
Chrysotile asbestos is the only known form of asbestos imported into the United States. It is found in a variety of products, such as sheet gaskets, brake blocks, and aftermarket brakes and linings. The chlor-alkali industry also uses raw asbestos for diaphragms to disinfect drinking water. After completing its Final Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, Part …
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana As previously reported on Asbestos Case Tracker, this matter involves Plaintiff Frank P. Ragusa, who filed an action against various defendants in state court alleging occupational asbestos exposure at the Avondale Shipyards, among other facilities, where he worked as a crane operator from 1973 through 2017. …
Court: United States District Court for the District of Utah This case arises out of decedent John C. Riegler’s diagnosis of mesothelioma, which plaintiff alleges stems from decedent’s work at a service station, including the performance of brake services. Plaintiff alleges defendants’ automotive-friction products exposed decedent to asbestos and caused his mesothelioma. Before the court …
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana From 1972 to 1975, plaintiff Frank P. Ragusa Jr. operated a cherry picker at Avondale Shipyards as an employee of Huntington Ingalls, Inc. He then worked at Avondale for a second stint in the late 1980s as a Pauline Management (JP & Sons) employee. The …
Supreme Court of New York, Nassau County Defendant Perkins Engine, Inc. moved to renew a court order denying its motion for summary judgment. A motion for leave to renew or reargue is based on new facts not offered on the prior motion that would change the prior determination, and reasonable justification for the failure to …
Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Plaintiff Frank P. Ragusa Jr. filed an asbestos-related lawsuit in Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans alleging he was exposed to asbestos in 1972, and from 1975 to 1976, while working at the Avondale Shipyard. He alleged that as a result of …
Court: Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York In this asbestos action, Munir Seen alleged he developed mesothelioma from asbestos exposure from various products, including joint compound from defendant Kaiser. The plaintiff’s experts included Drs. Jacqueline Moline and David Rosner. In June 2022, a jury awarded the plaintiff $15 million …
Court: Court of Appeals of Washington, Division One In this asbestos action, decedent Kevin Holdsworth worked at a paper mill in Camas, Washington from 1964 to 2001. He alleged exposure to asbestos from several sources during his employment, including from his role on the paper machine cleanup crew which required him to “blow down” every …
Court: Supreme Court of New York, New York County (NYCAL) In these asbestos actions, defendant Burnham LLC moved for partial summary judgment seeking the dismissal of the plaintiffs’ punitive damage claims, arguing the plaintiffs failed to establish that Burnham’s conduct rose to the level of egregious and morally culpable conduct necessary for the award of …
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Washington This case arises out of the death of decedent Thomas Deem from mesothelioma, which the plaintiff alleges was caused by the decedent’s exposure to asbestos through his work as a machinist at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The court previously dismissed the plaintiff’s claims …