Judge: No Evidence that Military Specifications Mandated Asbestos Use

SAN FRANCISCO - A judge has ruled that a former shipyard worker may pursue his mesothelioma claims against a contractor that supplied pumps to the U.S. Navy, saying the defendant failed to show that the Navy specifically required the use of asbestos insulation. McIntyre v. Warren Pumps, No. 06-6301 (N.D. Calif.).

In an April 30 order denying Warren Pumps' motion for summary judgment, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California further stated that Warren Pumps failed to show that the Navy had superior knowledge of risks associated with asbestos exposure or that no …