Bill on Bankruptcy: The Market's Unquenchable Thirst for Junk
Asbestos fibers, chemical fumes, environmental pollutants—what do they have in common? They all involve injuries that manifest over time and are continuously at the center of the complex exposure trigger debate....more
This insurance-coverage dispute involved alleged asbestos exposure from asbestos-containing vermiculite mined from Vermiculite Mountain outside of Libby, Mont. The court acknowledged that vermiculite ore may contain toxic...more
Jurisdiction: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York - Plaintiff Scott Keller alleged that he was exposed to asbestos during his employment on ExxonMobil Oil Company vessels and that he developed...more
Supreme Court of New York – New York County Eric Biljetina, et al. vs. Brenntag North America, Inc., et al. In this action, the plaintiffs allege the decedent had asbestos exposure through the use of Jean Nate talcum powder....more
In Perkins v. United States, Plaintiff Tristan Perkins sued the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”) for her mother Geraldine Perkins’ (“Decedent”) alleged wrongful death due to asbestos exposure. Alleging...more
The 2024-2025 Judicial Hellholes report shines its brightest spotlight on 10 jurisdictions that have earned reputations as Judicial Hellholes. Asbestos litigation continues to be a trend within numerous jurisdictions....more
Superior Court of Delaware, New Castle - In the asbestos action Burhenn v. Celotex Asbestos Settlement Trust, the court granted defendant Celotex’s motion to dismiss on the grounds that the complaint was untimely filed. In...more
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - Plaintiff Harry Marsh worked as a merchant mariner from 1944 to 1992. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2018 and subsequently sued the owner of every vessel he...more
Court: Supreme Court of South Carolina - In this mesothelioma matter, the Supreme Court of South Carolina granted a writ of certiorari to review decisions of the South Carolina Court of Appeals affirming the trial court’s...more
Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, First Department - In July 2023, the trial court denied a door manufacturer’s motion to dismiss. Upon appeal, the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department found...more
Court: Supreme Court of New York, New York County - In this asbestos action, decedent Anthony Morale alleged he was exposed to asbestos from boilers manufactured by defendant Fulton Boiler Works. Fulton moved for summary...more
Court: Supreme Court of New York, New York County - In this talc action, plaintiff Christina Thomas alleged she was exposed to asbestos from products manufactured by defendant Port Jervis Laboratories Inc., s/h/a Kolmar...more
Rulings by the United States Supreme Court profoundly impact insurers as businesses and corporate citizens. Additionally, decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court can also influence claims and policyholders' liabilities for...more
The link between asbestos exposure and an increased risk of diseases such as mesothelioma cancer, asbestos lung cancer, asbestosis, or other diseases was conclusively established in the 1970s. When this information was made...more
Court: Supreme Court of New York, New York County - Defendant Steel Grip Inc. (SGI) filed a renewed motion to dismiss following the completion of jurisdictional discovery on the basis that it lacked any connection to the...more
Court: Supreme Court of New York, New York County - Defendant Perkins Engines Inc. filed motions for summary judgment in two actions, Frederick and Nankervis. In Frederick, Perkins filed its motion based upon a lack of...more
Supreme Court of New York, New York County - In two asbestos actions (Avakian and Layton), defendant Mannington Mills moved to renew its summary judgment motion. Mannington contends that there was a subsequent change in the...more
Supreme Court of New York, New York County - In three asbestos actions (Learmond, Nale, and Torio), a caulk defendant moved for summary judgment, arguing that the respective plaintiffs’ claims regarding the asbestos...more
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit In this asbestos action, David Stauder Jr. (decedent) developed mesothelioma after working as a pipefitter for two decades. His daughters, Jill and Shelley Stauder (appellees)...more
Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District, March 30, 2022 In this matter, the decedent alleged exposure to asbestos during military service, throughout his career working at various industrial plants, and at his own home...more
The High Court's decision in Dring v Cape has set out a new balancing test for third party access to documents disclosed during litigation. The new approach should provide some comfort to defendants that are subject to...more
The Montana Supreme Court (“Court”) in a March 11th Opinion addressed issues arising out of asbestos bodily injury claims against BNSF Railway Co. (“BNSF”). See BNSF Railway Co. v. Eddy, 2020 WL 1164045 (Mont. 2020). The...more
Massachusetts state and federal courts issued a number of important product liability decisions in 2019. The Product Liability practice group at Nutter recently reviewed these cases. Highlighted below are some of the key...more
In a significant Connecticut Supreme Court win for policyholders officially released this week, Murtha Cullina helped Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC prevail once again in its coverage case against more than 20 of its insurance...more
In a pair of recent asbestos coverage decisions, a Pennsylvania federal court issued rulings addressing expedited funding orders, number of “occurrences,” and the applicability of aggregate limits under the Fourth Circuit’s...more