Mo. Defendants Remove 14-Plaintiff Welding Fume Lawsuit

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Defendants have removed a 14-plaintiff welding fume lawsuit, contending that two of the claimants assert claims that involve a federal question. Barton v. A.O. Smith Corp., et al., No. 07-00310 (E.D. Mo.).

In a Feb. 13 notice of removal filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the defendants note that the complaint is one of several filed that involve manganese welding fume exposure allegations.

Although the complaint was originally filed in 2005, the defendants contend that it was not until Jan. 17 depositions of Marvin Barton and John R. Davis that …