Court Remands Asbestos Claims for Recalculation of Shares, Consideration of Pro Tanto Release

BALTIMORE - A trial court's refusal to accept the stipulated dismissal of two defendants by another tortfeasor has forced a Maryland appeals court to order the recalculation of an asbestos verdict entered on behalf of a man who died from mesothelioma. Garlock, Inc., et al. v. Richard Gallagher, et al., No. 1268 (Md. Ct. Spec. App.).

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals, in an opinion released Jan. 17, reversed the court's decision to nullify the dismissal, finding that the defendant held responsible for the underlying injury dismissed was not engaging in 'gamesmanship' in defiance of Maryland statute.

The underlying …