Georgia-Pacific LLC can avoid tort lawsuits tied to certain products while its affiliate, Bestwall LLC, seeks to resolve those claims in bankruptcy, the Fourth Circuit ruled. The US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina, which is overseeing Bestwall’s Chapter 11 case, had “related to” jurisdiction to issue a preliminary … [Read more...]
EPA Asks for More Public Input on Asbestos After ProPublica and Others Reveal New Information
The Environmental Protection Agency took an unusual step last week: It opened a new period in which the public can comment on its proposed asbestos ban. The agency had gotten new information, officials said, including a series of ProPublica reports on dangerous working conditions in factories that use asbestos to make chlorine. Asbestos has been … [Read more...]
Cancer patient asks court to end Georgia-Pacific asbestos bankruptcy
A cancer patient on Friday asked a U.S. bankruptcy court to dismiss the long-running bankruptcy of a Georgia-Pacific subsidiary, arguing that it serves no purpose other than to prevent asbestos-related lawsuits from proceeding in other courts. The bankruptcy case began in 2017, when Georgia-Pacific, a unit of industrial conglomerate Koch … [Read more...]
EPA rule would finally ban asbestos, carcinogen still in use
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed a rule to finally ban asbestos, a carcinogen that is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products and kills thousands of Americans every year. The proposal marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled rules governing tens of … [Read more...]
Court upholds award to family of worker who died of asbestos exposure
The South Carolina Supreme Court [in August 2021] upheld a $16 million jury award to the family of a maintenance worker at a polyester fiber plant who died following years of asbestos exposure. Hystron Fibers Inc., owned by defendant CNA Holdings, hired Daniel Construction Co. in 1965 to build a plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. When the … [Read more...]
Dying Patients Denied Justice Amid COVID-Related Court Delays
Terminally ill plaintiffs, who were supposed to be guaranteed expedited trials in light of their deteriorating medical conditions, are still waiting for their day in court, according to an NBC Bay Area investigation. [ Terminally ill plaintiffs ] who are dying are supposed to be granted preferential treatment when it comes to scheduling their … [Read more...]
Imerys signs agreement to end talc litigation in the United States
Imerys announced on May 15 that it had reached agreement on a plan to end the [ talcum powder – asbestos litigation ] that resulted in the Chapter 11 (receivership) placement of its North American subsidiaries Imerys Talc America, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada. The group had announced at the end of 2018 that these three subsidiaries, … [Read more...]
Montana Supreme Court: BNSF Not Shielded from Liability in Libby Asbestos Cases
In a unanimous decision, the Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday determined that BNSF Railway Company is not shielded from liability for its role in spreading [ asbestos dust ] in the Northwest Montana town of Libby, where hundreds of people have died and thousands more are sick due to exposure. Facing hundreds of asbestos-related damage claims … [Read more...]
Statute of Repose Bars Asbestos-related Claim by Former Power Plant Worker
The estate of a career pipefitter who died from mesothelioma recently lost an appeal on claims that asbestos exposure caused his cancer and the exposure, in the course of his employment, violated the state’s safe place statute. [ This was an appeal of the trial court’s ruling that plaintiff’s complaint was barred by the Wisconsin construction … [Read more...]
U.S. states sue EPA for stricter asbestos rules
Ten U.S. states and Washington, D.C. sued the Environmental Protection Agency to begin working on rules to tighten oversight of asbestos, and reduce the health risks that the substance poses to the public. The attorneys general from California and Massachusetts, Xavier Becerra and Maura Healey, said on Monday they are leading the case, after the … [Read more...]