Louisiana Court Denies Summary Judgment Motions, Says Asbestos Parties Need to Brief Choice-of-Law Dispute First

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has denied two asbestos defendants’ attempts to obtain summary judgment awards on timeliness grounds, ruling that the court first must sort out a choice-of-law dispute in the case.

In the Oct. 23 decision, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana denied the motion without prejudice, opining that the parties must adequately brief the choice-of-law issue first.

Carol Phillips contends in her lawsuit that her husband was exposed to asbestos-containing products while working for a number of different companies, including CenterPoint Energy and Associated Electric Cooperative. He eventually developed mesothelioma …