Jurors Say Sophisticated User Defense Bars Recovery for Welder

CLEVELAND - Jurors in the latest Welding Fume MDL trial ended a three-week trial by finding for product manufacturers on strict liability and deciding that any recovery on the plaintiff's negligence claim was barred by the sophisticated user defense, HarrisMartin Publishing is reporting. Mann v. Airco/The BOC Group Inc., No. 1:06-CV-17288 [MDL Docket No. 1535] (N.D. Ohio).

The verdict was reached shortly after 11 a.m. on May 27 in the trial held in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Jurors answered "no" on plaintiff David Mann's strict liability claim; "yes" on his negligence claim; "yes" on …