Asbestos Litigation

As the ultimate authority on general maritime law, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument today on a matter involving basic tort principles most often evaluated at the state court level. In Air & Liquid Systems v. DeVries, the parties presented argument on whether a manufacturer may be liable for injuries caused by a product … Read moreAir & Liquid Systems v. DeVries: U.S. Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument on Bare Metal Defense Under Maritime Law

Litigation over personal injuries and wrongful death claims alleged to have been attributable to asbestos exposure has endured over the past forty years. Millions of dollars have been paid out to plaintiffs, leading many companies with significant liabilities to file for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy trusts have thus been established for claimants to seek recovery from these … Read more“Special Inactive Bankruptcy Docket” Established In Baltimore for Asbestos Cases in Which Only Bankrupt Defendants Remain

In Wallace & Gale Asbestos Settlement Trust v. Busch, a decision released on September 26, 2018 by the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, the state’s intermediate appellate court affirmed the jury verdict entered in favor of the Estate of William Busch, Jr. against Wallace & Gale Asbestos Settlement Trust (“Wallace & Gale”), finding that … Read moreMaryland Court of Special Appeals Affirms Jury Verdict Against Asbestos Installer Even Absent Direct Evidence That Installer Used Asbestos-Containing Materials at a Particular Site

Recent U.S. Supreme Court opinions limiting personal jurisdiction have been met with enthusiasm by defendants in asbestos litigation where forum shopping by plaintiffs’ counsel is common and defendants are sued in massive amounts of cases in multiple jurisdictions. Baltimore City, for example, ranked second in 2017 in total annual asbestos claim filings in the United … Read moreChallenging personal jurisdiction in Maryland asbestos litigation following recent U.S. Supreme Court opinions