Wash. Court Remands Asbestos Action; Says Crane Co. Failed to Establish Federal Defense

TACOMA, Wash. –– A Washington federal court has remanded an asbestos case alleging exposure in the U.S. Navy, saying that the removing defendant failed to prove that a federal defense was available.

In the Oct. 22 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington reiterated another federal court’s conclusion that a “contract with the government is not a one-way ticket to federal court.”

Alan and Donna McMann filed the claims in state court, contending that Alan McMann’s exposure to asbestos-containing products caused him to develop mesothelioma.

A defendant named in the action removed the case under the …