Gomez v. Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (E.D. La., Jan. 22, 2020, evidence ruling)

Our plain-English summary of Gomez v. Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, January 22, 2020).

Cary Gomez sued Aardvark Contractors, the Jefferson Parish School Board, Huntington Ingalls (Avondale), and several equipment makers. He alleged asbestos exposure first through his father's work at Avondale Shipyards in the 1960s and later through his own work as a plumber for Aardvark from 1988 to 2011. He was allegedly diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. This order dealt only with a scheduling question. Gomez asked for more time to submit an industrial hygienist's report, because the School Board had not answered discovery requests and its corporate representative had not been deposed. The industrial hygienist was to describe the asbestos Gomez was exposed to at School Board sites. The defendants did not object so long as they also received more time. The court found good cause under Rule 16, since Gomez had been diligent, the report was important, and the defendants would not be prejudiced. It extended his deadline to February 7, 2020 and the defendants' deadline to March 6, 2020.

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: January 22, 2020
• Docket: Civil Action No. 18-4186
• Stage: Discovery or evidence ruling
• State: Louisiana

Outcome. The court granted plaintiff Cary Gomez's motion to extend the deadline for his industrial hygienist expert report to February 7, 2020, and gave the defendants until March 6, 2020 to submit opposing expert reports.

What the court held. A scheduling order deadline may be modified for good cause, which requires showing the deadline could not reasonably be met despite the party's diligence. The court weighs the explanation, the importance of the amendment, prejudice, and the availability of a continuance.

Issues decided: Expert Testimony, Trial Procedure and Discovery.

The people and their exposure

• Cary Gomez: pleural mesothelioma

Who	Work	Where	When	Products
Cary Gomez	child of a worker at Avondale Shipyards (shipyards and maritime work); dust brought home	Avondale Shipyards	1960s
Cary Gomez	plumber	Jefferson Parish School Board sites, Louisiana	1988-2011

The defendants

• Jefferson Parish School Board (premises owner)
• Huntington Ingalls Incorporated (premises owner)
• CBS Corporation (manufacturer)
• Crosby Valve, LLC (manufacturer)
• General Electric Company (manufacturer)
• Foster Wheeler LLC (manufacturer)
• FMC Corporation (manufacturer)
• Ingersoll-Rand Company (manufacturer)
• Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (employer)

Other decisions in this case

Other rulings from the same court in the same case, in our library:

• Gomez v. Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (November 1, 2018). The court granted Nicholls State's motion to dismiss the executive officer liability, products liability and punitive damages claims (the last two unopposed), denied it as to Gomez's negligence and strict liability claims, and ordered service on the Office of Risk Management within 60 days.
• Gomez v. Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (December 13, 2019). The court granted Nicholls State's motion to dismiss the Jefferson Parish School Board's cross-claims on Eleventh Amendment immunity grounds and denied the motion as moot as to Huntington Ingalls, which had already dropped its cross-claims.
• Gomez v. Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (January 6, 2020). The court granted Nicholls State's unopposed motion to dismiss plaintiff Carey Gomez's claims against it on Eleventh Amendment immunity grounds.
• Gomez v. Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (January 22, 2020). The court granted Viking Pump's unopposed motion for summary judgment and dismissed, without prejudice, plaintiff Cary Gomez's claims and the cross-claims of Huntington Ingalls and Jefferson Parish School Board against Viking Pump.
• Gomez v. Aardvark Contractors, Inc. (May 13, 2020). The district court denied the Jefferson Parish School Board's motion for partial summary judgment seeking an automatic virile share credit for the Johns-Manville Trust, and denied Huntington Ingalls' withdrawn part of the motion as moot, so the plaintiffs prevailed on the motion.

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.

CAREY GOMEZ,

v.

AARDVARK CONTRACTORS, INC. ET AL., SECTION "L" (5).

Civil Action No. 18-4186.

January 22, 2020.

United States District Court, E.D. Louisiana.

Cary Gomez, Chucky R. Gomez, Norma C. Gomez, Brittany G. Ford & Chance J. Gomez, Plaintiffs, represented by Damon R. Pourciau, Ardoin Law Firm, Scott Michael Galante, Galante & Bivalacqua LLC & Stephanie Moore Hartman, Galante & Bivalacqua LLC.

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

Bayer CropScience, Inc., as successor to Rhone Poulene AG Company, Defendant, represented by McGready Lewis Richeson, Pugh, Accardo, Haas, Radecker & Carey, David M. Stein, 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 & Perrey S. Lee, Kuchler Polk Weiner, LLC. Burmaster Land & Development Co., LLC, formerly known as E.F. Burmaster & Sons, Burmaster Land & Development Company, Inc., Defendant, represented by Kevin John Webb, Litchfield Cavo LLP & Brett F. Willie, Litchfield Cavo, LLP. CBS Corporation, A Delaware Corporation, A successor by merger to CBS Corporation, a Pennsylvania Corporation, formerly known as Viacom, Inc., Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Defendant, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, 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., Magali Ann Puente-Martin, Frilot L.L.C. & Peter R. Tafaro, Frilot L.L.C.

Certain-Teed Corporation, formerly known as v, Defendant, represented by Jennifer E. Adams, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP. Certain-Teed Corporation, formerly known as Certain-Teed Products Corporation, Defendant, represented by Arthur Wendel Stout, III, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Barbara Bourgeois Ormsby, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Jason P. Franco, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP & William Claudy Harrison, Jr., Deutsch Kerrigan LLP.

Crane Company, 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.

FMC Corporation, improperly sued as FMC Corporation individually and as successor in interest to Crosby Valve, Inc. and Peerless Pump Corporation, Defendant, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, Frilot L.L.C., Barry C. Campbell, Dogan & Wilkinson, PLLC, 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. Foster Wheeler Corporation, Defendant, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, 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. & Peter R. Tafaro, Frilot L.L.C.

General Electric Company & Ingersoll-Rand Company, Defendants, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, Frilot L.L.C., Barry C. Campbell, Dogan & Wilkinson, PLLC, 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. & Peter R. Tafaro, Frilot L.L.C.

Goulds Pumps LLC, Defendant, represented by Lauren Ann McCulloch Semlinger, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius & Mitchell F. Tedesco, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

Grefco, Inc. & Viking Pump, Inc., incorrectly named as IDEX Corporation f/k/a Viking Pump, Inc., Defendants, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC & James Matthew Matherne, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC.

Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, formerly known as Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Avondale Industries, Inc., Avondale Shipyards, Inc., Defendant, represented by Gustave A. Fritchie, III, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alex Tyler Robertson, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alexander R. Saunders, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alison A. Spindler, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Christopher Thomas Whelen, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Michael Melancon, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Wayne O'Quinn, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Edward Winter Trapolin, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Michael Kevin Powell, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC & Timothy Farrow Daniels, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC.

IDEX Corporation, formerly known as, Defendant, represented by James Matthew Matherne, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC.

International Paper Company, formerly known as Champion International Corporation, U. S. Plywood Corporation, Defendant, represented by Walter G. Watkins, III, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP, Chelsea Elizabeth Gaudin, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Daniel S. Roberts, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Elizabeth Riddell Penn, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP, Jason K. Elam, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Mary Reeves Arthur, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP & Thomas Peyton Smith, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP.

Jefferson Parish School Board, Defendant, represented by E. John Litchfield, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC, Kathy L. Torregano, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC & Michael J. Marsiglia, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC.

John Crane Inc, Defendant, represented by Kenan Slade Rand, Jr., Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP, Lauren B. Dietzen, Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP, Meredith R. Durham, Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP & Scott H. Mason, Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Defendant, represented by Jay Morton Jalenak, Jr., Kean Miller & Patrick Dale Roquemore, Kean Miller.

McCarty Corporation, Defendant, 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, James R. Guidry, 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.

Warren Pumps, LLC, Defendant, represented by Joseph Henry Hart, IV, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Daniel E. Oser, Pugh, Accardo, LLC & Thomas A. Porteous, Pugh, Accardo, LLC.

World Trade Center of New Orleans, Inc., Defendant, represented by Timothy S. Madden, King, Krebs & Jurgens, PLLC & Nicole M. Babb, King, Krebs & Jurgens, PLLC.

A.W. Chesterton Company, Defendant, represented by Glenn Lyle Maximilian Swetman, MG+M The Law Firm, Bradley Adam Hays, MG+M The Law Firm, Brandie Mendoza Thibodeaux, MG + M The Law Firm & Helen Meredith Buckley, MGM The Law Firm.

Atwood & Morrill & Atwood & Morrill, incorrectly named Weir Valves and Controls, USA, Inc., f/k/a Atwood & Morrill, Defendants, represented by Jennifer E. Adams, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Arthur Wendel Stout, III, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Barbara Bourgeois Ormsby, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Jason P. Franco, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP & William Claudy Harrison, Jr., Deutsch Kerrigan LLP.

Zurich American Insurance Company, as successor by merger to Maryland Casualty Company and incorrectly sued as Maryland Casualty Company, Defendant, represented by Edward T. Hayes, Leake & Andersson, LLP, Lee M. LeBouef, Leake & Andersson, LLP, Marc E. Devenport, Leake & Andersson, LLP & McNeil James Kemmerly, Leake & Andersson, LLP.

Crosby Valve, LLC, incorrectly pled as FMC Corporation (individually and as successor in interest to Crosby Valve, Inc. and Peerless Pump Corporation), Defendant, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, 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. & Roth Martin Hainkel, Frilot LLC.

John Crane Inc, Third Party Plaintiff, represented by Kenan Slade Rand, Jr., Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP, Lauren B. Dietzen, Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP & Scott H. Mason, Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, 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, Alexander R. Saunders, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alison A. Spindler, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Christopher Thomas Whelen, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Michael Melancon, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Wayne O'Quinn, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Edward Winter Trapolin, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Michael Kevin Powell, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC & Timothy Farrow Daniels, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC.

Eagle, Inc., formerly known as Eagle Asbestos & Packing Company, Third Party Defendant, 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.

Uniroyal Holding, Inc., Third Party Defendant, represented by Mary Reeves Arthur, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Amy Louise Maccherone, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Chelsea Elizabeth Gaudin, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP & Elizabeth Riddell Penn, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP.

Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Cross Claimant, represented by Gustave A. Fritchie, III, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alex Tyler Robertson, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alexander R. Saunders, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alison A. Spindler, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Christopher Thomas Whelen, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Michael Melancon, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Wayne O'Quinn, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Edward Winter Trapolin, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Michael Kevin Powell, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC & Timothy Farrow Daniels, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC.

Bayercropscience, Inc., formerly known as Amchem Products, Inc., Benjamin Foster Co & Bayer CropScience, Inc., as successor to Rhone Poulene AG Company, Cross Defendants, represented by McGready Lewis Richeson, Pugh, Accardo, Haas, Radecker & Carey, David M. Stein, 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 & Perrey S. Lee, Kuchler Polk Weiner, LLC.

FMC Corporation, Ingersoll Rand Company & FMC Corporation, Individually and as successor in interest to Crosby Valve, Inc. and Peerless Pump Corporation, Cross Defendants, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, Frilot L.L.C., Barry C. Campbell, Dogan & Wilkinson, PLLC, 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. Foster Wheeler Corporation & General Electric Company, Cross Defendants, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, 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., Magali Ann Puente-Martin, Frilot L.L.C., Lacey Taylor McCoy, Frilot L.L.C. & Peter R. Tafaro, Frilot L.L.C. Goulds Pumps LLC, Cross Defendant, represented by Lauren Ann McCulloch Semlinger, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius & Mitchell F. Tedesco, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

Hopeman Brothers, Inc., Cross Defendant, represented by Brittney Bullock Ankersen, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, 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.

Grefco, Inc. & Viking Pump, Inc., incorrectly named as IDEX Corporation f/k/a Viking Pump, Inc., Cross Defendants, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC & James Matthew Matherne, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC.

International Paper Company, Cross Defendant, represented by Chelsea Elizabeth Gaudin, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Walter G. Watkins, III, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP, Daniel S. Roberts, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Elizabeth Riddell Penn, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP, Jason K. Elam, Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC, Mary Reeves Arthur, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP & Thomas Peyton Smith, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP.

Jefferson Parish School Board, Cross Defendant, represented by E. John Litchfield, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC, Kathy L. Torregano, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC & Michael J. Marsiglia, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC.

Owens Illinois, Inc, Cross 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.

Taylor Seidenbach, Inc., Cross 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.

World Trade Center of New Orleans, Inc., Cross Defendant, represented by Timothy S. Madden, King, Krebs & Jurgens, PLLC & Nicole M. Babb, King, Krebs & Jurgens, PLLC.

Bexar Canyon Management, Inc., Cross Defendant, represented by David A. Barfield, Pettis, Barfield & Hester P.A. Zurich American Insurance Company, as Successor in Merger to Maryland Casualty Insurance Company, Cross Defendant, represented by Edward T. Hayes, Leake & Andersson, LLP, Lee M. LeBouef, Leake & Andersson, LLP & Marc E. Devenport, Leake & Andersson, LLP.

Jefferson Parish School Board, Cross Claimant, represented by E. John Litchfield, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC, Kathy L. Torregano, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC & Michael J. Marsiglia, Berrigan & Litchfield, LLC.

A.W. Chesterton Company, Cross Defendant, represented by Glenn Lyle Maximilian Swetman, MG+M The Law Firm, Bradley Adam Hays, MG+M The Law Firm, Brandie Mendoza Thibodeaux, MG + M The Law Firm & Helen Meredith Buckley, MGM The Law Firm.

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

Burmaster Land & Development Co., LLC, Cross Defendant, represented by Kevin John Webb, Litchfield Cavo LLP. CBS Corporation, A Delaware Corporation, A successor by merger to CBS Corporation, a Pennsylvania Corporation, Cross Defendant, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, 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., Magali Ann Puente-Martin, Frilot L.L.C. & Peter R. Tafaro, Frilot L.L.C.

Certain-Teed Corporation, Cross Defendant, represented by Jennifer E. Adams, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Arthur Wendel Stout, III, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Barbara Bourgeois Ormsby, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Jason P. Franco, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP & William Claudy Harrison, Jr., Deutsch Kerrigan LLP.

Crane Company, Cross 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.

Crescent Materials Service Inc, Cross Defendant, represented by Lawrence G. Pugh, III, Pugh, Accardo, LLC & Donna M. Young, Pugh, Accardo, LLC.

Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Cross Defendant, represented by Gustave A. Fritchie, III, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alex Tyler Robertson, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alexander R. Saunders, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Alison A. Spindler, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Christopher Thomas Whelen, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Michael Melancon, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, David Wayne O'Quinn, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Edward Winter Trapolin, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, Michael Kevin Powell, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC & Timothy Farrow Daniels, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC.

IDEX Corporation, Cross Defendant, represented by James Matthew Matherne, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC.

Ingersoll-Rand Company, Cross Defendant, represented by John Joseph Hainkel, III, Frilot L.L.C., Angela M. Bowlin, Frilot L.L.C., Barry C. Campbell, Dogan & Wilkinson, PLLC, 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. & Peter R. Tafaro, Frilot L.L.C.

John Crane Inc, Cross Defendant, represented by Kenan Slade Rand, Jr., Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP, Lauren B. Dietzen, Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP & Scott H. Mason, Plauche, Maselli, Parkerson, LLP.

Liberty Mutual Group, Inc., as the Insurer of Wayne Manufacturing Co., Cross Defendant, 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, James R. Guidry, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP, Janice M. Culotta, Simon, Peragine, Smith and Redfearn, LLP & Louis Oliver Oubre, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, LLP.

McCarty Corporation, Cross Defendant, 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, James R. Guidry, 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.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Cross Defendant, represented by Jay Morton Jalenak, Jr., Kean Miller & Patrick Dale Roquemore, Kean Miller.

Owens-Illinois Inc, Cross Defendant, represented by Walter G. Watkins, III, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP, Chelsea Elizabeth Gaudin, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP, Elizabeth Riddell Penn, Forman, Watkins, & Krutz, LLP & Mary Reeves Arthur, Forman, Watkins & Krutz LLP.

Warren Pumps, LLC, Cross Defendant, represented by Joseph Henry Hart, IV, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Daniel E. Oser, Pugh, Accardo, LLC, Kathleen Erin Jordan, Pugh, Accardo, Haas, Radecker & Carey & Thomas A. Porteous, Pugh, Accardo, LLC. Hopeman Brothers, Inc., Cross Claimant, represented by Kaye N. Courington, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Blaine Augusta Moore, Courington, Kiefer & Sommers, LLC, Brittney Bullock Ankersen, 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.

ORDER & REASONS

ELDON E. FALLON, District Judge.

Before the Court is Plaintiff's Motion to Extend Time to Provide Industrial Hygienist Report. R. Doc. 271. Defendants CBS Corporation, Crosby Valve, LLC, General Electric Company, Foster Wheeler LLC, FMC Corporation, Ingersoll-Rand Company, and Huntington Ingalls Incorporated have filed responses to Plaintiff's Motion. R. Docs. 277, 278. Accordingly, the Court now rules as follows.

I. RELEVANT BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Cary Gomez filed this suit on March 7, 2018, alleging severe asbestos exposure from a number of sources throughout his life. R. Doc. 1-2. Plaintiff claims he was exposed to asbestos first as a consequence of his father's employment at Avondale Shipyards in the 1960s, and later as a result of Plaintiff's work as a plumber for Aardvark Contractors, Inc. ("Aardvark") from 1988-2011. As a result of his repeated exposure to asbestos, Plaintiff was allegedly diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. In his original Petition for Damages, Plaintiff sued, among others, Defendants Jefferson Parish School Board ("JPSB"), Huntington Ingalls Incorporated ("Avondale"), and CBS Corporation, Crosby Valve, LLC, General Electric Company, Foster Wheeler LLC, FMC Corporation, and Ingersoll-Rand Company. R. Doc. 1-2.

II. PRESENT MOTION

Plaintiff has filed a Motion to Extend Time to Provide Industrial Hygienist Report, R. Doc. 271, due to the alleged failure of JPSB to timely comply with discovery in this matter. R. Doc. 271-1 at 1. Pursuant to the Court's scheduling order, Plaintiff's expert reports were due for submission no later than January 7, 2020. R. Doc. 194. However, because of JPSB's failure to timely comply with Plaintiff's discovery requests, Plaintiff alleges he has been substantially prejudiced and thus seeks to extend the deadline by which the Industrial Hygienist expert report of Frank M. Parker, III may be issued. R. Doc. 271 at 1. III. LAW AND ANALYSIS

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16, "[a] schedule may be modified only for good cause and with the judge's consent." Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 16(b)(4). The good cause standard requires showing "the deadlines cannot reasonably be met despite the diligence of the party needing the extension." S&W Enters., L.L.C. v. SouthTrust Bank of Alabama, NA, 315 F.3d 533, 535 (5th Cir. 2003) (internal quotation and citation omitted). In determining whether to amend a scheduling order, a court must consider "`(1) the explanation for the failure to [timely move for leave to amend]; (2) the importance of the [amendment]; (3) potential prejudice in allowing the [amendment]; and (4) the availability of a continuance to cure such prejudice.'" Id. at 536 (quoting Reliance Ins. Co. v. La. Land & Expl. Co., 110 F.3d 253, 257 (5th Cir. 1997)) (alterations in original); Lester v. Exxon Mobil Corp., No. CV 14-1824, 2019 WL 4016325, at [*2] (E.D. La. Aug. 26, 2019). Plaintiff argues an extension is warranted because JPSB's failure to timely comply with discovery deadlines in this matter has prevented "Industrial Hygienist expert, Frank M. Parker, III, from producing a full and complete report by the January 7, 2020" Plaintiff expert report deadline. R. Doc. 271-1 at 1. Plaintiff and Avondale have allegedly issued numerous discovery requests to JPSB over the course of months that went unanswered. R. Doc. 271-1 at 2.[1] Moreover, Plaintiff has not yet been able to take the deposition of JPSB's corporate representative. R. Doc. 271-1 at 3. Plaintiff contends that Mr. Parker requires both JPSB's written discovery responses and JPSB's corporate representative deposition testimony to finalize his report. R. Doc. 271-1 at 3. Plaintiff thus requests an extension of the expert report deadline for Mr. Parker's report to a date after JPSB has complied with discovery requests in their entirety. R. Doc. 271-1 at 7.

Defendants CBS Corporation, Crosby Valve, LLC, General Electric Company, Foster Wheeler LLC, FMC Corporation, Ingersoll-Rand Company, and Huntington Ingalls Incorporated ("Avondale") have filed responses to Plaintiff's Motion requesting that if Plaintiff's expert report deadline for the Industrial Hygienist expert report is extended, then their corresponding expert report deadline also be extended. R. Docs. 277, 278. Defendants thus do not object to the extension that Plaintiff is requesting so long as Defendants are granted a similar extension to their expert report deadline so they may counter any opinions expressed by Mr. Parker in his report. R. Doc. 277 at 2, R. Doc. 278 at 1.

Plaintiff has demonstrated "good cause" in his request to extend Mr. Parker's expert report deadline, as it appears that Plaintiff has exerted ample effort to obtain discovery responses from JPSB and to schedule JPSB's corporate representative deposition. Despite Plaintiff's diligence in attempting to obtain this discovery, Plaintiff cannot reasonably meet the deadline set out in the Court's scheduling order. Moreover, Plaintiff has adequately demonstrated the importance of granting this extension, as Plaintiff intends to use Mr. Parker's expert report to "detail the substantial amount of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials Mr. Gomez was exposed to at JPSB sites." R. Doc. 271-1 at 6. Finally, it cannot be said that an extension of this one expert report deadline would cause prejudice to Defendants because the Court will likewise grant an extension for Defendants to submit opposing expert reports if necessary.

IV. CONCLUSION

For the reasons stated above,

IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion to Extend Time to Provide Industrial Hygienist Report, R. Doc. 271, is GRANTED with respect to Frank M. Parker, III's expert report. This expert report shall now be due no later than February 7, 2020. Likewise, Defendants shall receive an extension to submit their opposing expert reports on the topic, if necessary, which shall be due no later than March 6, 2020. All remaining deadlines remain in effective pursuant to the Court's Scheduling Order.

[1] The Court notes that since the filing of this Motion, Magistrate Judge North has since ordered JPSB to respond fully to the outstanding discovery propounded on it by January 16, 2020. R. Doc. 272.

Sources

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