Dispute over Coverage for Claims Against Asbestos Products Distributor Moved to New York

SAN FRANCISCO - A California insurance coverage dispute over which insurer has an obligation to indemnify a company for personal injury claims filed against it after the company took over operations of an asbestos products distributor belongs in New York where a similar case is being litigated, a federal judge has ruled. Argonaut Insurance Co. v. Mac Arthur Co., et al., No. 01-03878 (N.D. Calif.).

Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said Jan. 18 that the interests of justice and consistency would be better served if the California dispute were transferred to …