Wis. Court Awards Summary Judgment to Owens-Illinois, Cites Issue Preclusion, Statute of Limitations

MILWAUKEE –– A Wisconsin federal court has awarded summary judgment to Owens-Illinois Inc., finding that the underlying asbestos case –– the third filed by the plaintiffs –– was barred by both issue preclusion and the statute of limitations.

In the May 29 decision and order, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin also opined that the asbestos defendant might be entitled to attorneys’ fees, given that counsel for the plaintiffs had failed to disclose the first lawsuit and a diagnosis date that rendered the next two cases untimely.

Georgia Arendt filed the underlying lawsuit, contending that …