Court: Port Companies Neither Owed Duty, Nor Substantially Caused Injury

NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana appellate court has affirmed on rehearing its previous reversal of a bench trial verdict in favor of several asbestos claimants, finding that a river port lessor and three ship repair companies did not owe a duty to the plaintiffs. Palermo v. The Port of New Orleans, et al., No. 2004-CA-1804; Veal, et al. v. The Port of New Orleans, et al., No. 2004-CA-1805 (La. Ct. App., 4th Cir.).

In a Jan. 19 opinion, Louisiana's 4th Circuit Court of Appeal said the Port of New Orleans did not owe a duty to two longshoreman to protect …