Asbestos MDL Court Denies Summary Judgment Motions from Shipbuilder

PHILADELPHIA –– The court overseeing the national Asbestos Products Liability Multidistrict Litigation docket has denied summary judgment motions brought by a ship builder, rejecting the defendant’s attempts to throw the claims out on the government contractor or sophisticated user defenses.

In March 11 decisions issued in three separate cases, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania opined that the plaintiff had presented enough evidence to contradict the defendant’s claim that it built its ships under U.S. Naval specifications.

One of the underlying lawsuits was filed by Bruce Gleason, who was allegedly exposed to asbestos while …