Asbestos. A classic:
Harry Kananian met with the firm Early Ludwick in February 2000. According to an Early email, he wasn't clear how he'd been exposed. He had, however, served in the Army in World War II and remembered several months on troop ships known to contain asbestos. On one such two-week trip he'd done welding. He also recalled working in a factory that was "dusty," as well as a "white powdery substance" when he was remodeling his house.
Early Ludwick then filed its multiple claims--to the 48 Insulations trust, the Eagle Picher trust, the UNR trust, the Celotex trust and others. Brayton Purcell was also retained by the plaintiff and filed claims to Johns Manville and Bethlehem Steel. The discrepancies were never questioned until Brayton sued Lorillard Tobacco, and Brayton probably never thought the prior claims would be an issue. But Lorillard suspected Kananian had already collected on the basis of his work history--and it argued the jury had a right to know. To Brayton's dismay, Judge Hanna agreed earlier this year.
Yes, dusty material. Show me one person over 35 who hasn't been been in a place that contained asbestos, and guess what? You can get mesothelioma without asbestos exposure. Read the whole sorry tale by Strassel at Opinion Journal. I wonder what their next scam will be. These people make honest lawyers look bad, but they laugh all the way to the bank. But can they look at themselves in the mirror?
