Wash. Court Remands Asbestos Lawsuit, Awards Attorneys’ Fees and Costs Against Velan

SEATTLE –– An asbestos lawsuit has been remanded by a Washington federal court, which found that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction since the plaintiffs had attempted to dismiss Velan Valve Corp. from the lawsuit prior to the removal.

In the Aug. 9 order, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington also awarded attorneys’ fees and costs, finding that the defendant’s actions were done in an effort to “frustrate the automatic dismissal of the claims.”

Plaintiffs David and Linda Welch filed the underlying claims in June 2021 in the King County Superior Court (Wash.), contending that David’s pleural …