U.S. District Court, Central District of California: Asbestos Cases

Our case-law library holds 16 asbestos decisions from the U.S. District Court, Central District of California (2012–2025). Each links to our summary and the full opinion.

• Kind of court: Federal district court

Decisions

• Holste v. 3M Company (2025). The court granted the Holstes' motion to remand to Los Angeles Superior Court, rejecting Boeing's federal officer removal, and denied the Holstes' request for attorney fees and costs.
• Corin v. Arkema, Inc. (2024). The court granted Paula Corin's motion and remanded the case to Los Angeles County Superior Court because Colgate-Palmolive's notice of removal was fatally defective, and denied Colgate leave to amend as futile.
• Dunlavey v. 3M Company (2024). The district court granted the plaintiffs' motion and remanded the case to Los Angeles County Superior Court, finding NASSCO failed to show it acted under a federal officer so federal-officer removal was improper.
• Ollerton v. National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (2023). The district court denied plaintiff William Ollerton's motion to remand, holding that defendant National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) properly removed the case under the federal officer removal statute.
• Anderson v. Johnson & Johnson (2020). The court approved the parties' stipulation dismissing the wrongful death action against Johnson & Johnson and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. without prejudice, with the limitations period tolled until after the state appeal ends.
• Kruse v. Actuant Corporation (2020). The court denied plaintiffs George and Shigeko Kruse's motion to remand, finding federal officer removal jurisdiction proper based on Lockheed's and General Dynamics' colorable government contractor defense to the design defect claims.
• Weirick v. Brenntag North America, Inc. (2019). The district court granted plaintiffs' ex parte application and remanded the case to Los Angeles County Superior Court on equitable grounds, rejecting Johnson & Johnson's removal based on Imerys's bankruptcy.
• Lund v. 3M Company (2016). The district court denied Electric Boat and General Dynamics' motion to reconsider its earlier denial of summary judgment on the Lund family's strict liability claims, so those claims stay alive for trial.
• Hendricks v. Armstrong International, Inc. (2015). The court granted the Hendricks plaintiffs' motion to remand to state court, finding General Electric failed to show SoCal Edison was fraudulently joined and did not obtain consent of all remaining defendants to removal; GE lost.
• Olds v. 3M Company (2014). The court granted summary judgment to Cummins, Inc. and against plaintiff Paul Olds because there was no evidence he was exposed to an asbestos-containing Cummins product.
• Olds v. 3M Company (2014). The court granted Dana Companies, LLC's motion for summary judgment, dismissing Paul Olds's claims against Dana and entering judgment for Dana.
• Sclafani v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (2014). The court granted the joint motion for summary judgment on causation filed by the remaining defendants (Goodyear, Foster Wheeler and Crane, with Air & Liquid Systems, which had settled, also named as a movant) and ruled against the plaintiffs.
• Lara v. CBS Corp. (2013). The district court granted plaintiffs' motion to remand the case to Los Angeles County Superior Court, rejecting defendant Rockwell Automation's federal officer removal.
• Lund v. 3M Company (2013). The court denied Niantic Seal, Inc.'s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction without prejudice and granted plaintiffs William and Victoria Lund 90 days of jurisdictional discovery.
• Nelson v. Air and Liquid Systems Corp. (2013). The court granted summary judgment to Air and Liquid Systems (Buffalo Pumps), Alfa Laval, Crane, Nash, Kaiser Gypsum and Union Carbide, dismissing the widow's negligence, strict liability and conspiracy claims for lack of evidence that her husband was exposed to asbestos from their products.
• Couscouris v. Hatch Grinding Wheels, Inc. (2012). The court granted the plaintiffs' motion to remand to state court, finding that Lorillard failed to show the California defendant Metalclad was fraudulently joined, and denied the plaintiffs' request for fees, costs and sanctions.