U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington: Asbestos Cases

Our case-law library holds 118 asbestos decisions from the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington (2008–2025). Each links to our summary and the full opinion.

• Kind of court: Federal district court

Decisions

• McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corporation (2015). The court granted SB Decking's renewed motion for summary judgment, ruling that maritime law applied and that the McMann plaintiff failed to show exposure to SB Decking's asbestos-containing product or that it was a substantial factor in causing his illness.
• Sprague v. Pfizer, Inc. (2015). The district court denied the plaintiff's motion to certify questions to the Washington Supreme Court, granted Pfizer's motion for summary judgment because there was no evidence Pfizer was an apparent manufacturer under Restatement § 400, and dismissed the case.
• Barabin v. AstenJOHNSON, Inc. (2014). The district court granted Geraldine Barabin's motion to remand her wrongful death suit to King County Superior Court, ruling that Asten, Scapa and Wright had not shown fraudulent joinder, and denied her request for attorneys' fees and costs.
• Lipson v. ON Marine Services Co. LLC (2014). The district court denied plaintiff Joanne Lipson's motion for reconsideration of its order excluding expert testimony based on the Washbourne Report, so defendant On Marine Services prevailed on the motion.
• McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (2014). The district court denied the McManns' motion to remand, holding that Westinghouse (CBS) and Crane Co. properly removed the case under the federal officer removal statute because they showed a colorable government contractor defense and a causal nexus.
• McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corporation (2014). The court granted summary judgment to Pabst, finding the McManns' claims barred by Washington's Industrial Insurance Act. It granted Crane's motion except as to exposure to Crane's "Cranite" product, and granted SB Decking's motion on the conspiracy-type claims but denied it on the asbestos exposure claims.
• McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corporation (2014). The court granted PacifiCorp's motion for summary judgment and dismissed the McManns' claims against PacifiCorp, finding no genuine issue of fact that Mr. McMann was exposed to asbestos at the Centralia Steam Plant.
• Nelson v. Air & Liquid Systems Corporation (2014). The court granted Crane's motion as to Great Lakes exposure and Carrier's motion as to the feed-pump turbines, but denied both motions as to Crane valves and Carrier air conditioning units aboard the Kitty Hawk, so those claims go forward for the Nelsons.
• Botts v. US (2013). The district court granted the United States' motion for summary judgment, ending Roger and Carol Botts' Federal Tort Claims Act suit over Mr. Botts' mesothelioma, because they could not show his Shipyard deliveries were a substantial factor in causing it.
• Hoyt v. Lockheed Shipbuilding Company (2013). The federal district court granted Lockheed Shipbuilding Company's motion for summary judgment and dismissed Loretta Hoyt's take-home asbestos claim with prejudice, because the risk to her was not reasonably foreseeable in the 1950s.
• Jensen v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (2013). The court granted plaintiff Jensen's motion to remand to Pierce County Superior Court, finding Terex had not shown that non-diverse defendant Saberhagen was fraudulently joined, so diversity jurisdiction failed.
• Lefevre v. CBS Corporation (2013). The court granted the plaintiffs' motion for partial summary judgment, holding Crown Cork & Seal liable as successor to Mundet Cork for its pre-February 8, 1964 asbestos liabilities, and denied Crown Cork's cross-motion for summary judgment.
• Lipson v. ON Marine Services Company, LLC (2013). The court denied the defendants' (ON Marine and Lone Star) motions in limine to exclude or limit the testimony of plaintiffs' experts Dr. Longo, Dr. Brodkin and Ms. Raterman, and admitted Dr. Longo's Tyndall-lighting video, without a Daubert hearing.
• McMann v. Air & Liquid Systems Corporation (2013). The court granted the McManns' motion to remand to state court, holding that Crane Co. failed to show it was entitled to federal officer removal.
• Bouchard v. CBS Corporation (2012). The court granted Saint Gobain Containers' motion for summary judgment, holding SGC did not assume liability for Lola Bouchard's asbestos exposure under the asset purchase agreement, so plaintiffs lost against SGC.
• Stevens v. CBS Corporation (2012). The district court denied the summary judgment motions of CBS Corporation (as Westinghouse's successor), Warren Pumps, LLC and Cleaver-Brooks, Inc., so Roland and Shirley Stevens' claims go forward.
• Stevens v. CBS Corporation (2012). The court granted in part and denied in part the plaintiffs' motions to compel discovery from Carrier, IMO Industries and Warren Pumps, limiting most requests to equipment on the Navy and PSNS vessels Mr. Stevens worked on between 1954 and 1984.
• Weyerhaeuser Company v. Fireman's Fund Insurance Company (2008). The federal district court granted Fireman's Fund's cross-motion and denied Weyerhaeuser's cross-motion, ruling that the earliest triggered policy year for the Anderson and Reed claims is 1965, the first year of exposure to Weyerhaeuser's asbestos-containing products.