MDL Court Dismisses 3 Asbestos Suits; Says Deceased Plaintiffs Had ‘No Legal Existence’ When Complaints Were Filed

PHILADELPHIA –– The federal court overseeing the national coordinated asbestos products liability multidistrict litigation docket has dismissed three suits, saying that since the original complaints did not exist in a legal sense, they may not be amended.

In the Nov. 9 order, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania wrote that there were no valid complaints to amend since the lawsuits were filed after the exposed individuals had died.

All three lawsuits asserted that the decedents were exposed to asbestos while working aboard ships.

The shipowner defendants named in the suits moved for summary judgment, however, maintaining …