Burkart v. PPG Industries, Inc. (2018)

Our plain-English summary of Burkart v. PPG Industries, Inc. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, April 11, 2018).

Raymond Burkart Jr. sued Avondale (now Huntington Ingalls) in Louisiana state court. He alleged he contracted mesothelioma from asbestos-containing products during his employment at Avondale. The parties agreed that at least part of the exposure involved asbestos materials installed on ships being built for the U.S. Navy. He claimed Avondale failed to warn of asbestos hazards and failed to use proper safety procedures. Avondale removed the case to federal court under the federal officer removal statute, arguing the government required it to use asbestos materials and that the 2011 amendment, which allows removal of suits "relating to" acts under federal office, only required some connection. Burkart moved to remand, arguing his claims concerned safety measures that were never under federal control. The court granted the motion. It relied on its decision days earlier in Guillot v. Avondale, which found Avondale had not shown a causal nexus between the government's asbestos requirement and its ability to comply with state-law duties to warn and safeguard. The case was returned to Orleans Parish Civil District Court.

We wrote this summary from the court's opinion with the help of AI. It is not the court's wording, and it is not legal advice. The full opinion is below.

The decision

• Court: U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
• Decided: April 11, 2018
• Docket: Civil Action No. 17-12646
• Stage: Jurisdiction, venue or removal
• State: Louisiana

Outcome. The court granted Raymond Burkart Jr.'s motion to remand and sent the case back to Orleans Parish Civil District Court, rejecting Avondale's federal officer removal.

What the court held. Following its decision in Guillot, the court held that Avondale did not show a causal nexus between the federal requirement to use asbestos-containing materials and its ability to comply with state-law duties to warn and safeguard, so federal officer removal failed.

Issues decided: Failure to Warn, Government Contractor Defense and Removal, Venue, Removal and Transfer.

The people and their exposure

• Raymond Burkart, Jr.: mesothelioma

Who	Work	Where	When	Products
Raymond Burkart, Jr.	(shipyards and maritime work)	Avondale

The defendants

• Huntington Ingalls Incorporated (f/k/a Avondale Shipyards, Inc.) (employer)

The court's opinion

The text below is Google Scholar's copy of the court's opinion, a public record. Numbers in brackets, such as [*921], mark where each page of the printed reporter begins.

RAYMOND BURKART, JR.

v.

PPG INDUSTRIES, INC., ET AL., SECTION: "J"(1).

Civil Action No. 17-12646.

April 11, 2018.

United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana.

Raymond V. Burkart, Jr., Plaintiff, represented by Cameron Waddell, Waddell Anderman LLC & Jody Edward Anderman, Waddell Anderman LLC.

PPG Industries, Inc., Defendant, represented by Christopher O. Massenburg, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Brandie Mendoza Thibodeaux, Manion Gaynor & Manning, LLP & Ryan Thomas Martin, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP.

Ameron International Corporation, Defendant, represented by Kay Barnes Baxter, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Ashley A. Edwards, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Forrest Ren Wilkes, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Georgia Noble Ainsworth, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Jason K. Elam, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Margaret Adams Casey, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC & Martin James Dempsey, Jr., Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC.

Anco Insulations Inc, Defendant, represented by Jamie Hebert Baglio, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Donna M. Young, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Douglas R. Elliott, Pugh, Accardo, LLC & Margaret M. Joffe, Pugh, Accardo, LLC.

Eagle, Inc. & McCarty Corporation, Defendants, represented by Susan Beth Kohn, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, April Ann McQuillar, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, Douglas Kinler, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, Douglas Watson Redfearn, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, Janice M. Culotta, Simon, Peragine, Smith and Redfearn, LLP, Louis Oliver Oubre, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP & Nicole M. Loup, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP.

Jacobs Constructors, Inc., Defendant, represented by Arthur H. Leith, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC, C. Kieffer Petree, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC, Dan Edward West, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC & Sarah Elizabeth McMillan, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC.

Hopeman Brothers, Inc., Defendant, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Blaine Augusta Moore, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Jeffrey Matthew Burg, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Jonathan Paul Hilbun, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC & Mathilde Villere Semmes, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC. Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, formerly known as Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., formerly known as Avondale Industries, Inc., formerly known as Avondale Shipyards, Inc., Defendant, represented by Gustave A. Fritchie, III, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alex Tyler Robertson, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alison A. Spindler, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Michael Melancon, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Edward Winter Trapolin, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC & Timothy Farrow Daniels, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Defendant, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Blaine Augusta Moore, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Jeffrey Matthew Burg, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Mathilde Villere Semmes, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC & Troy Nathan Bell, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC. OneBeacon America Insurance Company, Defendant, represented by Samuel Milton Rosamond, III, Taylor, Wellons, Politz & Duhe, APLC & Adam Devlin DeMahy, Taylor, Wellons, Politz & Duhe, APLC.

Reilly-Benton Co., Inc., Defendant, represented by Thomas L. Cougill, Willingham Fultz & Cougill, LLP, Jamie M. Zanovec, Willingham Fultz & Cougill, LLP, Jennifer H. McLaughlin, Willingham Fultz & Cougill, LLP & Jennifer D. Zajac, Willingham Fultz & Cougill, LLP.

Hercules, LLC, Incorrectly named as Hercules, Inc., Champlain Cable Corporation & Ametek, Inc., Third Party Defendants, represented by Christopher O. Massenburg, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Bradley Adam Hays, Manion Gaynor & Manning LLP, Jeanette Seraile-Riggins, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Kevin R. Sloan, Gauthier Murphy Houghtaling LLC, Meghan B. Senter, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP & Ryan Thomas Martin, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP.

Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Third Party Plaintiff, represented by Gustave A. Fritchie, III, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alex Tyler Robertson, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alison A. Spindler, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Michael Melancon, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Edward Winter Trapolin, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC & Timothy Farrow Daniels, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC.

Flowserve Corporation, formerly known as Duriron Company, Inc., Third Party Defendant, represented by Glenn L.M. Swetman, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Bradley Adam Hays, Manion Gaynor & Manning LLP, Brandie Mendoza Thibodeaux, Manion Gaynor & Manning, LLP, Christopher O. Massenburg, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Danielle Mikel Sczesny, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, David R. Frohn, MGM Law Firm, Helen Meredith Buckley, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Jeanette Seraile-Riggins, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Kevin R. Sloan, Gauthier Murphy Houghtaling LLC, Meghan B. Senter, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Natasha Amber Corb, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Quinn Kelcie Brown, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP & Ryan Thomas Martin, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP.

Crane Company, Third Party Defendant, represented by Lawrence G. Pugh, III, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Donna M. Young, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Jacqueline Romero, Pugh, Accardo, LLC & Shelley L. Thompson, Pugh, Accardo, LLC. Uniroyal, Inc., Third Party Defendant, represented by Mary Reeves Arthur, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP & Amy Louise Maccherone, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP.

Goulds Pumps, Third Party Defendant, represented by Lauren Ann McCulloch, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

Taylor-Seidenbach, Inc., Third Party Defendant, represented by Christopher Kelly Lightfoot, Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale, LLP, Edward J. Lassus, Jr., Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale, LLP & Richard J. Garvey, Jr., Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale, LLP.

CBS Corporation, formerly known as Viacom, Inc., formerly known as Westinghouse Electric Corporatioin & General Electric Company, Third Party Defendants, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, Frilot L.L.C., Barry C. Campbell, Frilot L.L.C., James H. Brown, Jr., Frilot L.L.C., Kelly L. Long, Frilot L.L.C., Kelsey A. Eagan, Frilot L.L.C., Lacey Taylor McCoy, Frilot L.L.C. & Magali Ann Puente-Martin, Frilot L.L.C.

International Paper Company, Third Party Defendant, represented by Walter G. Watkins, III, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Daniel S. Roberts, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP, Elizabeth Riddell Penn, Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP, Mary Reeves Arthur, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP & Thomas Peyton Smith, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP.

Owens-Illinois, Inc., doing business as O-I, Third Party Defendant, represented by Walter G. Watkins, III, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Elizabeth Riddell Penn, Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP, Mary Reeves Arthur, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP & Thomas Peyton Smith, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP.

Bayer CropScience, Inc., Third Party Defendant, represented by McGready Lewis Richeson, Pugh, Accardo, Haas, Radecker & Carey, Francis Xavier DeBlanc, III, Pugh, Accardo, Haas, Radecker & Carey, Kathleen Erin Jordan, Pugh, Accardo, Haas, Radecker & Carey & Milele N. St. Julien, Pugh, Accardo, Haas, Radecker & Carey.

Warren-Rupp, Inc., Third Party Defendant, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC & James Matthew Matherne, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC.

Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Cross Claimant, represented by Gustave A. Fritchie, III, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alex Tyler Robertson, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alison A. Spindler, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Michael Melancon, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Edward Winter Trapolin, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC & Timothy Farrow Daniels, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC.

Ameron International Corporation, Cross Defendant, represented by Kay Barnes Baxter, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Ashley A. Edwards, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Forrest Ren Wilkes, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Georgia

Noble Ainsworth, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Jason K. Elam, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Margaret Adams Casey, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC & Martin James Dempsey, Jr., Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC.

Anco Insulations Inc, Cross Defendant, represented by Jamie Hebert Baglio, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Donna M. Young, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Douglas R. Elliott, Pugh, Accardo, LLC & Margaret M. Joffe, Pugh, Accardo, LLC.

Eagle, Inc. & McCarty Corporation, Cross Defendants, represented by Susan Beth Kohn, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, April Ann McQuillar, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, Douglas Kinler, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, Douglas Watson Redfearn, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, Janice M. Culotta, Simon, Peragine, Smith and Redfearn, LLP, Louis Oliver Oubre, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP & Nicole M. Loup, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP.

Hopeman Brothers, Inc., Cross Defendant, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Blaine Augusta Moore, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Jeffrey Matthew Burg, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Jonathan Paul Hilbun, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC & Mathilde Villere Semmes, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Cross Defendant, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Blaine Augusta Moore, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Jeffrey Matthew Burg, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Mathilde Villere Semmes, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC & Troy Nathan Bell, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC.

PPG Industries, Inc., Cross Defendant, represented by Christopher O. Massenburg, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP, Brandie Mendoza Thibodeaux, Manion Gaynor & Manning, LLP & Ryan Thomas Martin, Manion Gaynor Manning LLP.

ORDER

CARL J. BARBIER, District Judge.

Before the Court is a Motion to Remand (Rec. Doc. 12) filed by Plaintiff, Raymond Burkart, Jr. ("Plaintiff"), and an opposition thereto (Rec. Doc. 20) filed by Defendant, Huntington Ingalls Incorporated (f/k/a Avondale Shipyards, Inc.) (hereinafter, "Avondale"). Plaintiff and Avondale have both filed a reply (Rec. Doc. 22) and sur-reply (Rec. Doc. 25), respectively. Having considered the motion and legal memoranda, the record, and the applicable law, the Court finds that the motion should be GRANTED.

Plaintiff alleges that he contracted mesothelioma as a result of being exposed to asbestos-containing products during his employment at Avondale. The parties agree that Plaintiff's alleged asbestos exposure relates, at least in part, to asbestos-containing materials being installed aboard ships being built for the United States Navy. Plaintiff filed the instant suit against Avondale in state court seeking damages for Avondale's alleged failure to warn of the hazards of asbestos and failure to implement proper safety procedures for the handling of asbestos. Avondale subsequently removed the action to this Court, asserting federal jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1442, the federal officer removal statute. Avondale contends that the Court has federal officer jurisdiction over the dispute because its use and installation of asbestos-containing materials in the construction of federal vessels was required by the contractual provisions and design specifications mandated by the federal government.

Plaintiff argues in his motion to remand that Avondale has not carried its burden of establishing the elements of federal officer jurisdiction—specifically, that a casual nexus exists between Plaintiff's claims and Avondale's acts under the color of federal office. Simply put, Plaintiff argues that his claims for failure to warn and failure to safeguard have nothing to do with Avondale's compliance with federal requirements because asbestosrelated safety measures at Avondale were never under federal direction and control. Thus, Plaintiff avers that Avondale cannot make a showing of a casual nexus between a federal officer's direct and detailed control over Avondale's safety activities and Avondale's ability to comply with its obligation to warn and/or safeguard under state law.

In contrast, Avondale argues that the federal government's mandate that it use asbestos-containing material is sufficient to establish the casual nexus prong of the federal officer removal statue as amended. In particular, Avondale asserts that Plaintiff relies on a casual nexus standard that was rendered obsolete when Congress amended the federal officer removal statute in 2011. Avondale argues that under the amendment, the removing party need only show that there is some

connection or association between the plaintiff's claims and the defendant's conduct under color of federal office.[1] Thus, Avondale maintains that its removal of this suit is proper because Plaintiff's negligence claims "relate to" the government's mandate that Avondale use asbestos-containing products in its ships.

This Court has recently rejected identical arguments made by Avondale regarding the casual nexus requirement in Guillot v. Avondale Indus., Inc., No. 17-7666 (E.D. La. April 9, 2018) (Rec. Doc. 46). There, the Court found that Avondale failed to show that a casual nexus existed between the federal government's requirement that Avondale use asbestos-containing materials and Avondale's ability to comply with its obligations to warn and/or safeguard under state law. Accordingly, for the reasons expressed in Guillot v. Avondale Indus., Inc., No. 17-7666 (E.D. La. April 9, 2018) (Rec. Doc. 46); IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion to Remand (Rec. Doc. 12) is GRANTED.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the above-captioned case is hereby REMANDED to the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans.

[1] Prior to the amendment, § 1442 allowed the removal of a state suit against a person acting under a federal officer when the suit was for "for any act under color of such office." Act of June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 938 (codified at 28 U.S.C. § 1442); see Zeringue, 846 F.3d at 793. Congress altered the language of § 1442 in 2011 to allow the removal of a state suit "for or relating to any act under color of such office." 28 U.S.C. § 1442(a)(1).

Sources

• The opinion on Google Scholar
• Louisiana asbestos laws
• Louisiana asbestos exposure sites