Florida Court Retains Jurisdiction Over Asbestos Complaint, Rejects Remand Efforts

TAMPA, Fla. –– A Florida federal court has retained jurisdiction over an asbestos personal injury lawsuit, opining that the removing defendant had established all the requirements of federal officer removal.

In the Dec. 27 order, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida opined in part that Crane Co. had “persuasively” argued that its supply of products to the U.S. Navy that did not contain a warning was an act performed as part of its official duty to the government entity.

Marc Killam asserted the claims, contending that as a boiler tender serving in the U.S. Navy in …