U.S. Supreme Court Denies Efforts to Review W.Va. Bifurcation Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Supreme Court has declined a petition for writ of certiorari that claimed a West Virginia trial court wrongfully allowed the issue of punitive damages to be bifurcated in a chemical exposure medical monitoring lawsuit. Chemtall Inc., et al., v. Stern, et al., No. 07-1033 (U.S. Sup. Ct.).

According to the court's online docket, the petition was denied on March 31, effectively ending defense efforts to reverse a trial court's plan to try the issues of liability and punitive damages first and then reach a conclusion on medical monitoring and class certification.

The defendants' petition was …