Missouri Court Awards Summary Judgment to Buffalo Pumps on Collateral Estoppel Grounds

ST. LOUIS –– A Missouri court has granted Buffalo Pumps’ motion for summary judgment in an asbestos case, finding that the claims were barred by the doctrine of collateral estoppel since similar claims asserted against the company in Massachusetts were dismissed.

In the Sept. 11 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri opined that Buffalo Pumps should “not face the burden of re-litigating these same issues.”

The plaintiffs asserted the claims on behalf of Berj Hovsepian, contending that his work as a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy for nearly 10 years led him to come …