Miss. Supreme Court Vacates $1.86 Million Welding Fume Verdict

JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi Supreme Court has reversed a $1,855,000 jury verdict in favor of a construction worker who claimed that exposure to welding fumes led to manganism, saying the claims are time-barred. Lincoln Electric Co., et al. v. McLemore, No. 2009-CA-00320-SCT (Miss. Sup. Ct.).

The high court's 7-2 majority declined to address contested medical testimony or defendants' individual liability, saying in its Dec. 9 en banc opinion that the statute of limitations issue was dispositive.

McLemore alleged that the exposure to toxic fumes began in the 1970s, when he began his career as a welder. He worked at …