New Orleans Jury Rules Against 4 Welders in Latest Trial

NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans jury reached a unanimous defense verdict on March 7 in a joint trial of claims brought by four former welders who sought damages for manganism and other neurological illnesses they say were caused by exposure to welding fumes. Andre v. A.O. Smith Corp., No. 2003-11573 and Barras v. A.O. Smith Corp., No. 2004-873 (La. Civ. Dist. Ct., Orleans Parish).

The 12 jurors - nine of whom had to agree on a verdict - deliberated for little more than an hour, according to one source, after listening to nearly three weeks of trial testimony that …