Celotex Corp. v. Catrett
United States Supreme Court
477 U.S. 317 (1986)
Catrett (plaintiff) sued several asbestos manufacturers including Celotex (defendant), claiming her husband's death resulted from asbestos exposure; Celotex moved for summary judgment arguing Catrett had no evidence her husband was exposed to Celotex's specific products, and Catrett responded with three documents suggesting such exposure. The district court granted Celotex summary judgment for insufficient evidence, but the court of appeals reversed, reasoning Celotex hadn't offered its own evidence disproving Catrett's claim, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Whether a party moving for summary judgment must support that motion with affirmative evidence, such as affidavits, disproving an essential element of the nonmoving party's claim.