Montana Creates Special Court to Handle Asbestos Cases

The Montana Supreme Court on Nov. 28 ordered the creation of an Asbestos Claims Court to oversee hundreds of pending asbestos-related personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. At least 540 asbestos cases are tied up in Montana courts, most filed on behalf of people who became sick or died following exposure to asbestos from the now-defunct W.R. Grace vermiculite mine in Libby. Justices ruled there was sufficient need to create a special court to resolve the claims, many of which date to the early 2000s. District Judge Amy Eddy will oversee pretrial proceedings. A schedule has not been set. “It’s an enormous responsibility, but resolution needs to be brought to these cases,” Eddy told the Daily Inter Lake. “It would be devastating to the judicial resources, which are severely underfunded, if they were to be litigated on an individual basis.” Plaintiffs’ attorneys have until Dec. 28 to file notices of appearance with the Asbestos Claims Court. Eddy anticipates the number of cases could be closer to 1,000, according to The Associated Press. Libby, a small city in northwest Montana, is the site of one of America’s worst man-made disasters. Nearly 70 years of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mining killed more than 400 people in Libby and surrounding communities, health officials have said. Thousands more remain sick from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. W.R. Grace Under Bankruptcy Protection The Montana Legislature passed the Asbestos Claims Cou...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Amy Eddy Asbestos Claims Court Asbestos Claims Court Act BNSF Railway environmental protection agency International Paper Libby mine Libby Superfund site Lincoln County Port Authority Maryland Casualty Montana Department of Justice M Source Type: news