Louisiana Federal Court Refuses to Remand Asbestos Case Against Avondale

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has denied an asbestos plaintiff’s motion to remand, concluding that the removing defendant had satisfied the elements of the Federal Officer Removal Statute.

In the June 5 order, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana declined to adopt a ruling from the 11th Circuit that found the Federal Officer Removal Statute applied to current, not former, federal officers, saying that it was not bound by the decision.

Plaintiff Wilson Goffner Sr. asserted the underlying claims, contending that he was occupationally exposed to asbestos while worked at the Avondale Shipyard in …