Bill on Bankruptcy: The Market's Unquenchable Thirst for Junk
It is extremely rare for a civil case filed in New York State to be reviewed by its highest court—the New York Court of Appeals. In 2023, 1,030,781 civil cases were filed in New York State trial courts; however, only 93...more
Back in 2009, Salvador Parra filed suit in the trial court of Jones County, Mississippi against 19 companies for asbestos exposure. He amended to clarify he was a Louisiana citizen but was employed in Mississippi in 1968-69...more
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - In December 2018, Sue Perry (“decedent”) passed away following her second lung cancer diagnosis. Her surviving husband and daughters (“plaintiffs”) alleged that she...more
Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, Fourth Department - In this personal injury action, plaintiff Joseph Skrzynski alleged asbestos exposure from brakes and other related products while working at an automobile...more
Court: Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana - As previously reported HERE in the Asbestos Case Tracker, a Louisiana jury on May 7 returned a plaintiff’s verdict against talc manufacturer Johnson...more
Court: Superior Court of Pennsylvania - In this asbestos appeal, appellant Sandra Pendergrass — the administratrix of the estate of decedent, Vernetta Merie Coe — appealed the Court of Common Pleas of Erie County Civil...more
Court: United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit - Debtor Ben Nye Co. Inc., a manufacturer and distributer of theatrical makeup, filed for subchapter V bankruptcy in March 2024. Its proposed bar date...more
Jurisdiction: Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit - Mr. May died from Mesothelioma and the plaintiffs filed a wrongful death and survival action alleging the decedent was exposed to asbestos while working as a...more
In a published decision with a dissent, the NC Court of Appeals denied the Plaintiff’s motion to add North Carolina Self-Insurance Security Association as a party to the claim....more
Jurisdiction: Court of Appeal of California, Second Appellate District, Division Six - Plaintiff Easterling brought this claim based on his diagnosis of lung cancer, which he attributes to asbestos exposure during his work as...more
Court: Appellate Court of Maryland - A Maryland appellate court has affirmed a lower court’s decision that granted summary judgment to the defense in a toxic substance exposure case....more
Maffei v. A.O. Smith Water Prods. Co. (In re N.Y.C. Asbestos Litigation), 2025 N.Y. Slip Op. 1425 (N.Y. App. Div. 2025) - Valuing asbestos cases can sometimes be complicated but on March 13th, 2025, the NY Appellate Court...more
Jurisdiction: Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, First Department - The Supreme Court of New York, New York County, on March 13, 2024, dismissed defendant Long Island Lighting Company from an asbestos action,...more
Jurisdiction: Court of Appeals of Indiana - In this asbestos action, it was alleged that decedent, Ronald McBride had asbestos exposure from the use of asbestos-containing talcum powder products while living in Indiana and...more
Court of Appeal of California, First Appellate District, Division Four - Blanca Hernandez, et al., v. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, et al. This litigation arises from claims of asbestos exposure. The plaintiffs allege the...more
Court of Appeal of California, First Appellate District, Division Four - Blanca Hernandez, et al., v. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, et al. The plaintiffs allege that the decedent, Raul Hernandez, had occupational exposure to...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: Illinois Circuit Court – Cook County - This lawsuit involved a survival and wrongful death action brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) in Illinois. Plaintiff, Annette Sanders, represented...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 3 issued Part 2 of a final risk determination providing an overview of the hazards of asbestos “to workers in certain conditions.” The agency will soon begin the risk...more
Court: Court of Appeal of California, First Appellate District, Division Two - Plaintiff Steven Watts filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Alameda County, California naming 36 defendants who were alleged to have...more
On June 6, 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its long-awaited ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum Co., Inc., et al. The Court held an insurer with financial responsibility for claims in bankruptcy...more
In a landmark 5-4 decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma that will significantly reshape corporate bankruptcy practice, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved a circuit split regarding the authority of a bankruptcy court to approve...more
Court: Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, First Department - In September 2023, the trial court denied talc defendant Colgate-Palmolive Co.’s motion for summary judgment to dismiss the complaint against it. On...more
Court: Court of Appeals of Texas, Fourteenth District, Houston - Carolyn and Frank Burford were married from November 1962 until Carolyn’s death in 2015. While married, Frank Buford worked for Alcoa at its aluminum smelter...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