Ark. Federal Court Denies Union Pacific’s Attempts to Sever Asbestos Claims

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –– An Arkansas federal court has denied attempts by Union Pacific Railroad Co. to sever asbestos claims filed by former employees, opining that the defendant had failed to prove that separating the cases would promote convenience.

In the March 22 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas rejected the defendant’s attempts to sever the claims and, in the alternative, to try the cases separately.

The lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad Co. was brought by Arthur L. Harris, Nehemiah Jefferson and Willie L. Jones. The plaintiffs allege that while employees of Union …