La. Federal Court Allows Asbestos Plaintiff to File Reply Brief Regarding Government Immunity Defense

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has allowed an asbestos plaintiff to file a reply brief with regard to Avondale Shipyard’s government immunity defense the same day it granted several unopposed motions for summary judgment filed by several defendants.

In a reply brief filed on April 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, plaintiff Robert Stephen Sentilles clarified that he was not bringing a products liability claim against Avondale, but instead was bringing a negligence claim.

“Boyle makes clear, as did the 5th Circuit in Bailey v. McDonnell Douglas Corp. and more recently …