MetLife Awarded Summary Judgment on Asbestos Conspiracy Claim

BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Metropolitan Life has been awarded summary judgment in an asbestos case where the plaintiff accused the insurer of negligence and conspiracy to withhold information about the hazards of asbestos exposure. Flanders v. Garlock, Inc., No. 02-178 (S.D. Ga.).

In a decision issued Aug. 11, Judge Anthony A. Alaimo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia said that because MetLife never manufactured or sold an asbestos-containing product and never made any representation relied on by the plaintiff, it cannot be held liable for causing his asbestos-related illness.

Claude Flanders sued MetLife and numerous other …