Bankruptcy Judge Says Garlock’s Obligation for Asbestos Meso Claims Capped at $125 Million; Discusses ‘Extensive’ Discovery Abuse

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A North Carolina bankruptcy judge has determined that asbestos defendant Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC’s obligation for future mesothelioma claims will be capped at $125 million, according to an order estimating aggregate liability released late Friday.

In the order, Judge George R. Hodges of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina wrote that the defendant’s products “resulted in a relatively low exposure to asbestos to a limited population and that its legal responsibility for causing mesothelioma is relatively de minimus.”

The judge also weighed in on what he referred to as “extensive” discovery abuse, …