Louisiana Court Stays Claims Against Insurance Company in Asbestos Case, Cites Ongoing Litigation in Massachusetts

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has stayed claims against an insurer in an asbestos personal injury lawsuit, finding that litigation in Massachusetts involving the insurance policies at issue in the case addresses the question of whether the plaintiff can recover claims against the company.

In the April 6 ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana found that the claims against the insurer should be stayed under the “first-to-file” rule.

“[T]he Massachusetts action addresses not whether [the plaintiff] may recover, but against whom may she recover,” the court concluded.

Plaintiff Kelly Giarratano filed the underlying …