La. Judge Grants Summary Judgment, Dismisses 5-Year-Old Welding Case

NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana state court judge has granted a motion for summary judgment filed by defendants who claim that the plaintiff has had five years to demonstrate more than a "suspicion" that his alleged neurological disease is related to manganese exposure. Bradshaw v. A.O. Smith Corp., et al., No. 2004-4743 (La. Dist. Ct., Orleans Parish).

Judge Rosemary Gedet of the Orleans Parish District Court signed the order granting summary judgment and dismissing claims by David Ratcliff on March 20.

A.O. Smith and other defendants argued in their motion that in the five years since the case was filed, …