MDL Judge Absolves BOC But Upholds $20.5 Million Award

CLEVELAND - A federal judge has denied post-trial relief to four of five defendants assessed $20.5 million in damages for supplying welding materials that allegedly injured a longtime welder, but left the damages award intact. Tamraz v. BOC Group Inc., et al., No. 1:04-CV-18948 (N.D. Ohio).

Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley, who presides over the Welding Fume Products Liability multi-district litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on July 18 granted the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict only for BOC Group Inc., ruling that there was insufficient evidence that Jeffrey Tamraz used BOC's products.

On …