Jury Finds for Defendants in Consolidated Welding Fume MDL Trial

CLEVELAND -- An Ohio jury has exonerated four defendants in two separate MDL welding fume lawsuits, rejecting the plaintiffs' claims that exposure to welding fumes while employed at the Duke Power Co. caused manganism. In re: Welding Fume Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1535; Gofoth, No. 06-17217; Quinn, No. 06-17218, (N.D. Ohio).

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio jury reached the defense verdict on Nov. 30 after two days of deliberations. The four-week trial took place before Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley.

Sources indicated that the defendants remaining at the time of the verdict in both cases …