Plaintiffs continue to struggle in their attempts to obtain class certification in toxic tort cases, the most recent example being the May 14, 2012 decision in Earley v. Village of Crestwood, No. 09-CH-32969 (Cook County Ill).   In Earley, Plaintiffs brought suit ostensibly on behalf of the residents of Crestwood Village, contending that the municipality had been providing them with tap  water from a contaminated well for some twenty plus years.  In an opinion that does not even reach three pages in length, the trial court made quick work of their class action claims, focusing on proximate cause.  Relying on Smith v. Illinois Central RR, 223 Ill, 2d 441 (2006), which rejected class certification in mass toxic torts because of the complex and individual nature of establishing that the alleged contamination proximately caused each class members’ alleged injuries, the trial judge in Earley found that the necessity for each plaintiff “to establish the amount and type of their damages proximately caused by Defendants” would “overwhelm any common issues,” thus dooming certification.

Share | Email| Comments|  Topics: Cancer, Class Actions, Illinois, Toxic Torts, Water

In one of the first lawsuits seeking personal injuries and medical monitoring in connection with natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale – one of the largest and most recent natural gas plays in North America – the first blow has been dealt to the plaintiffs, who have been ordered by a Special Master tasked with overseeing discovery to produce all of their medical records to the defendants. Read More »

Share | Email| Comments|  Topics: Cases to Watch, Class Actions, Decisions of Note, Dimock, Marcellus Shale, Medical Monitoring, Oil and Gas, Toxic Torts

Both before and after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, 131 S.Ct. 2451 (2011), removal to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act (“CAFA”) was a key tool in the arsenal employed by class action defendants, as federal courts have become increasingly more skeptical of certifying classes in toxic tort class actions.  But with many state court procedural rules patterned after their federal counterparts, federal trends can influence state courts, and the recent Louisiana Supreme Court decision in Price v. Roy R. Martin, 2011-C-0853 (Dec. 6, 2011), is a perfect example. Read More »

Share | Email| Comments|  Topics: Certification, Class Actions, Contamination, Decisions of Note, Dukes, Louisiana, Real Estate, Toxic Torts

As mentioned a few months ago, this coming Thursday, December 8, Kate and I will be participating in an ALI-ABA webcast on medical monitoring claims in a Post-Dukesworld.  It’s a great panel including Kate, plaintiff’s attorney Tom Morrone, Former Rohm and Haas associate general counsel Ellen Friedell, and public health expert Dr. Phillip Lewis.   With a variety of different viewpoints and approaches, we’re expecting a lively discussion on both law and policy.  A good opportunity to get in those end-of-the-year CLE hours.  More Details:  ALI-ABA Medical Monitoring Webcast

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In light of the recent decisions in Wal-Mart v. Dukes, 131 S.Ct. 2541 (2011) and, thereafter, Gates v. Rohm & Hass Co., 655 F.3d 255 (3rd Cir. 2011), one might have wondered whether there would ever be another federal environmental tort class certified. Well, the wait is over as on October 12, 2011, just such occurred in the Western District of Kentucky. Read More »

Share | Email| Comments|  Topics: Air, Class Actions, Decisions of Note, Farming, Hog Barn, Kentucky, Nuisance, Odors, Toxic Torts, Trespass, Waste