La. Court Grants Motion on Res Judicata Grounds, Says Prior Release Precludes Mesothelioma Claims

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has granted a motion to re-urge exception of res judicata in an asbestos case, finding that a prior release agreement “unambiguously” precluded the recovery of damages for mesothelioma-related claims in the future.

In the Oct. 12 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana found that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that the Release Agreement was invalid.

Joseph Savoie originally filed his complaint in 1991 in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, contending that he was exposed to asbestos while working at Avondale Shipyard. As a …