Travelers Indemnity Awarded Summary Judgment in La. Federal Asbestos Exposure Action

NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana federal judge has awarded Travelers Indemnity Co. summary judgment in an asbestos wrongful death action, finding the plaintiffs failed to present evidence that the decedent was present at the insured shipyard’s premises during the coverage period.

In an Aug. 3 order, Judge Eldon E. Fallon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana explained that while the decedent testified he worked at Swiftships Inc., he never specified when he was actually present at the Morgan City, La., shipyard.

James Gooding was employed by American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and worked as a …