U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana: Asbestos Cases

Our case-law library holds 9 asbestos decisions from the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana (1988–2015). Each links to our summary and the full opinion.

• Kind of court: Federal district court

Decisions

• Hedden v. CBS Corporation (2015). The court granted summary judgment to Crown Cork & Seal, CBS, General Electric, Gardner Denver, Link-Belt and Riley Power, and denied it to Crane Co. and John Crane, Inc. on the maritime claims, so the Heddens' Navy-related claims against those two defendants go to trial while their non-maritime Louisville Gas & Electric claims were dismissed.
• Lambert v. Babcock & Wilcox Co. (1999). The district court denied John Crane's and W.R. Grace's motions for summary judgment and their motions to reconsider the order letting plaintiff Cheryl Lambert amend her complaint, and it reserved ruling on relation back pending more briefing.
• Spoonamore v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (1999). The district court granted John Crane's motion for summary judgment, ruling against the Spoonamore plaintiffs on the product claims, the wrongful death claim and the loss of consortium claim.
• Spoonamore v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (1999). The court amended its May 7, 1999 order and held that Indiana's ten-year statute of repose barred the Spoonamores' wrongful death and underlying product claims, so summary judgment stayed in place for Owens-Illinois and against the plaintiffs.
• Spoonamore v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (1998). The district court granted John Crane's motion for summary judgment, ruling against the Spoonamore estate and Mrs. Spoonamore on their negligence, strict liability, wrongful death and loss of consortium claims.
• Castor v. US (1995). The court dismissed the federal prisoners' Federal Tort Claims Act asbestos-exposure suits against the United States for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under the discretionary function exception, and denied their motions for appointed counsel and to strike a declaration.
• Harris v. AC & S, Inc. (1995). The court granted summary judgment to Pittsburgh Corning, Owens-Corning, Anchor Packing and Garlock, and in part to Georgia-Pacific (for Bestwall). It denied it to John Crane, to Georgia-Pacific on its joint compound, and initially to A.W. Chesterton. It later reconsidered, granted Chesterton summary judgment, and directed final judgment for all defendants.
• Knox v. AC & S, Inc. (1990). The court denied Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp.'s summary judgment motion, so the estate of Darrel Knox, the plaintiff, could continue its asbestos suit against OCF.
• Knox v. AC & S, Inc. (1988). The court granted in part and denied in part the defendants' summary judgment motion: CERCLA § 9658 did not preempt Indiana's statute of repose, so claims based on products delivered before 1973 were barred, but the plaintiff could still try to prove delivery and exposure from 1973 to 1985.