Ohio Courts: 30,000 Asbestos Injury Cases Tossed Out

Courts have tossed about 30,000 asbestos injury claims to comply with an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that upheld limits on such cases, but people whose lungs begin showing evidence of damage could refile their cases, a judge said on Oct. 21.

Judge Harry Hanna, one of three judges handling 39,000 asbestos cases for Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, said the dismissed cases covered claims without serious sickness. Cases can be reinstated if plaintiffs start showing symptoms of asbestos damage to lungs, Hanna said.

The Ohio Supreme Court said in mid-October that a 2004 state law restricting the ability of people to pursue claims can be applied to cases before the law took effect. The law restricts claims unless people show evidence of health problems caused by asbestos.

Topics Ohio