Asbestos MDL Court Rules Shareholder Defendant Can't be Held Liable

PHILADELPHIA -- The court overseeing the National Asbestos Products Liability Litigation MDL has dismissed claims asserted against a shareholder in three Alabama cases, ruling that the defendant could not be held liable for the employer's negligence. Riggs v. Mead Corp., No. 09-70094; McGuffie v. Mead Corp., No. 09-70095; Archer v. Mead Corp., No. 09-70093 (E.D. Pa.).

In the Aug. 12 rulings, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania further found that the defendant had not assumed a duty of safety at the facility and therefore did not owe a duty to the plaintiffs.

The claims asserted on …