Calif. Court Denies Motions for Summary Judgment Filed by 2 Shipbuilder Defendants in Asbestos Case

LOS ANGELES –– A California court has denied motions for summary judgment filed by two shipbuilder defendants in an asbestos case, rejecting the companies’ efforts to obtain dismissal of the suit on a number of grounds, including the government contractor and sophisticated user defenses.

In the May 10 order, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California additionally held that the defendants were not entitled to summary judgment on the ground that a ship is not a product for strict liability purposes.

The plaintiffs asserted the claims on behalf of William Lund, contending that his service as …