Peripheral Defendants Dismissed in Recent MDL Order

CLEVELAND - The judge presiding over the Welding Fume MDL has signed the parties' proposed Dismissal Agreement, dismissing without prejudice any "peripheral" defendant who has not been identified as a manufacturer or supplier of welding products used by the plaintiffs. In re: Welding Fume Products Liability Litigation. MDL No. 1535. Case No. 1:03-cv-17000 (N.D. Ohio).

Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio signed the order June 14, stating that the purpose of the agreement is to provide the parties with a way to identify the peripheral defendants in each case, and to …