5th Circuit to Hear Appeal of $2.42 Million Judgment on April 7

NEW ORLEANS - The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled oral argument for April 7 in welding products manufacturers' appeal of a $2.42 million judgment in favor of Robert Jowers. Jowers v. BOC Group Inc., et al., No. 09-60396 (5th Cir.).

The manufacturers are appealing a jury verdict that found them liable for $720,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitives.

The compensatory damges were reduced from $1.7 million when jurors assigned 40 percent of the fault to Jowers.

In their Sept. 3 opening brief, the defendants asserted that the trial court made several errors that prevented them …