October 24, 2014
A Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing multidistrict asbestos litigation brought by merchant mariners ended 32 of their suits in a decision published Thursday, saying the court lacked jurisdiction over the defendant companies because they weren't primarily based in the Virgin Islands, where the suits were brought.
September 26, 2014
A Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing multidistrict asbestos litigation brought by merchant marines ended 225 of their suits in a decision published Thursday, saying it lacked jurisdiction over the defendant companies because they had never shipped in Ohio, where the suits were brought.
August 14, 2014
Merchant marines asked a federal judge overseeing multidistrict asbestos litigation to shut down an effort to dodge the suit by companies who say the court lacks jurisdiction, saying the issue was decided in the seamen's favor a long time ago.
July 10, 2014
A Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing multidistrict asbestos litigation ruled Wednesday that injured sailors can recover punitive damages from ship owners in some situations, while their estates cannot pursue punitive damages as part of wrongful death claims.
August 27, 2013
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Monday signed off on 418 motions to dismiss various shipowners and companies who were swept into a massive asbestos multidistrict litigation over alleged lung scarring in sailors because the court where the complaints were originally filed didn't have jurisdiction.
January 09, 2013
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday refused to throw out 124 suits in a sweeping asbestos multidistrict litigation over sailors' alleged lung scarring against dozens of defendants including ConocoPhillips Inc., finding that the plaintiffs show enough evidence of physical harm to allow the cases to proceed.
September 12, 2012
A Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing sweeping multidistrict asbestos litigation against dozens of defendants including ConocoPhillips Inc. granted a motion Wednesday to reverse his dismissal in August of nearly 1,700 cases brought by sailors over alleged lung scarring, ruling that the cases weren't properly vetted.
August 08, 2012
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday dismissed nearly 1,700 cases from asbestos multidistrict litigation that sought to hold product manufacturers and others liable for sailors' alleged lung scarring, delivering a perhaps fatal blow to the ability of workers exposed to asbestos to bring claims based on scarring that presents no symptoms.
July 26, 2012
U.S. Steel Corp. on Thursday became the latest company to exit massive Pennsylvania multidistrict litigation accusing hundreds of companies of exposing consumers to products that caused asbestos-related injuries, resolving more than 3,000 claims by maritime merchants who sustained injuries while employed aboard vessels.