New Complaints Claim Defendants Used Trade Organizations as 'Instruments'

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Two new complaints filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California contend that defendants controlled safety and health activities in the welding industry through trade organizations and various other subcommittees. Taijeron v. A.O. Smith, No. 05-00631; Hallinan v. A.O. Smith, et al., No. 05-00631 (E.D. Calif.).

In addition to his March 30 lawsuit, plaintiff Mike Hallinan also served the court with notice of the similarity of his claims to those pending in the Welding Rod Products Liability Litigation MDL, docketed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Plaintiff Vincente Taijeron …