Louisiana Court Retains Jurisdiction of Asbestos-Related Suit, Says Federal Question Exists

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has retained jurisdiction over an asbestos exposure suit, saying that the plaintiff’s own allegations establish that he was exposed to asbestos fibers while working at a facility located on the Outer Continental Shelf.

In the Nov. 17 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana found that the plaintiff’s allegations raised “no distinction between his exposure at Caminada and his exposure at the other Freeport facilities.”

Plaintiff Jesse Frank Sheppard filed the case, contending that his work for Mosaic Global Holdings Inc.’s predecessor company, Freeport Sulphur Co., caused him to …