Court Rejects A.P.I's 3rd Party Complaint, Says Settling Defendant Cannot 'Rewrite Law'

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota's Court of Appeals has reversed the denial of summary judgment to third-party defendants in an asbestos lawsuit, ruling that A.P.I. can no longer bring claims against the third-party defendants because it has settled the underlying lawsuit. Bunce v. A.P.I. et al., No. A04-1348 (Minn. Ct. App.).

The June 7 opinion by the Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected A.P.I's contention that its third-party claims succeed because the third-party defendants were not named in the original lawsuit.

Plaintiff Larry Bunce alleged that he developed mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos-containing products while working as an …