GEORGINE v. AMCHEM PRODUCTS, INC.

Nos. 94-1925, 94-1927 to 94-1932, 94-1960, 94-1968, 94-2009 to 94-2013, 94-2066 to 94-2068, 94-2085 and 95-1705.

83 F.3d 610 (1996)

Robert A. GEORGINE; Laverne Winbun, Executrix of the Estate of Joseph E. Winbun, Deceased, and in Her Own Right; Ambrose Vogt, Jr.; Joanne Vogt, His Wife; Carlos Raver; Dorothy M. Raver, His Wife; Timothy Murphy; Gay Murphy, His Wife; Ty T. Annas; Anna Marie Baumgartner, Executrix of the Estate of John A. Baumgartner, Deceased; Nafssica Kekrides, Individually and as Administratrix of the Estate of Pavlos Kekrides, Deceased; William H. Sylvester, Executor and Personal Representative of the Estate of Fred A. Sylvester, Deceased, v. AMCHEM PRODUCTS, INC.; A.P. Green Industries, Inc.; Armstrong World Industries, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; C.E. Thurston & Sons, Inc.; Dana Corporation; Ferodo America, Inc.; Flexitallic, Inc.; Gaf Building Materials, Inc.; I.U. North America, Inc.; Maremont Corporation; Asbestos Claims Management Corp; National Services Industries, Inc.; Nosroc Corporation; Pfizer, Inc.; Quigley Company, Inc.; Shook & Fletcher Insulation Company; T & N, PLC; Union Carbide Corporation; United States Gypsum Company v. ADMIRAL INSURANCE COMPANY; Affiliated Fm Insurance Company; Aiu Insurance Company; Allianz Insurance Company; Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company, Individually and as Successor to Allianz Underwriters, Inc.; Allstate Insurance Company, as Successor to Northbrook Excess and Surplus Insurance Company; American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida; American Centennial Insurance Company; American Home Assurance Company; American Motorists Insurance Company; American Re-Insurance Company; Appalachian Insurance Company of Providence; Argonaut Insurance Company; Atlanta International Insurance Company; Caisse Industrielle D'Assurance Mutuelle; C.E. Heath Compensation and Liability Insurance Company as Successor to Employers' Surplus Line Insurance Company; Centennial Insurance Company; Central National Insurance Company of Omaha; Chicago Insurance Company; City Insurance Company; Colonia Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft; Columbia Casualty Company; Commercial Union Insurance Company, as Successor to Columbia Casualty Company, Employers Commercial Union Insurance Company, Employers Commercial Union Insurance Company of America, and Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation Limited; Compagnie Europeenne De Reassurances; the Constitution State Insurance Company; Continental Casualty Company; Employers Mutual Casualty Company, Evanston Insurance Company; Executive re Indemnity Inc., as Successor to American Excess Insurance Company; Federal Insurance Company; General Reinsurance Corporation; Gibraltar Casualty Company; Government Employees Insurance Company; Granite State Insurance Company; Highlands Insurance Company; the Home Indemnity Company; the Home Insurance Company; Houston General Insurance Company; Hudson Insurance Company; Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania; Interstate Fire & Casualty Company; Jefferson Insurance Company of New York; Landmark Insurance Company; La Preservatrice Fonciere Tiard, Individually and as Successor to La Fonciere Assurances Transports Accidents and La Preservatrice; Le Secours; Lexington Insurance Company; Lilloise D'Assurances, as Sucessor to Lilloise D'Assurances et De Reassurances; Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company; Maryland Casualty Company; Michigan Mutual Insurance Company; Mutuelle Generale Francaise; National American Insurance Company of California, as Successor to the Stuyvesant Insurance Company; National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA; Northbrook Indemnity Company; North Star Reinsurance Corporation; Old Republic Insurance Company; Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association Insurance Company; the Protective National Insurance Company of Omaha; Prudential Reinsurance Company; Puritan Insurance Company, Individually and as Successor to the Manhattan Fire and Marine Insurance Company; Ranger Insurance Company; Republic Insurance Company; Safeco Insurance Company of America; Safety National Casualty Corporation, as Successor to Safety Mutual Casualty Corporation; St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Individually and as Successor to Birmingham Fire Insurance Company; St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company; Stonewall Insurance Company; Steonewall Surplus Lines Insurance Company; Sun Alliance and London Insurance PLC; Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Company, Limited; the Travelers Indemnity Company; the Travelers Insurance Company; Unigard Security Insurance Company, as Successor to Unigard Mutual Insurance Company; Union Des Assurances De Paris; Yosemite Insurance Company; Eurinco Allegemeine Versicherungs, A.G.; F & M Insurance Company, Ltd.; La Concorde; Lexington Insurance Company, Ltd.; L'Union Atlantique S.A. D'Assurances; N.V. Rotterdamse Assurantiekas Per Mees & Zoonen; National Continental Insurance Company as Successor to American Star Insurance Company; Newfoundland American Insurance Co., Ltd.; New Hampshire Insurance Company, Ltd.; Phoenix Assurance; Reliance Insurance Company; Sirius (UK) Insurance Company, PLC; Trident General Insurance Company; Great American Insurance Company; American Empire Surplus Lines Insurance Company, as Authorized Agent on Behalf of Transport Indemnity Company. George Windsor; Constance Windsor, Michael Windsor and Karen Windsor, Appellants in Nos. 94-1925, 94-2009. White Lung Association of New Jersey, National Asbestos Victims Legal Action Organizing Committee, the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union, The Skilled Trades Association, Myles O'Malley, Marta Figueroa, Robert Fiore, Roh Maher, and Lynn Maher, (in her own behalf and as next friend for her minor children, Jessica Marie Maher, Jamie Marion Maher, and Jennifer Megan Maher), Appellants in Nos. 94-1927, 94-1968. Richard R. Preston, Sr. and Louis C. Anderson, Appellants in Nos. 94-1928, 94-2013. Albert and Margaret Hertler, Appellants in No. 94-1929. Richard E. Blanchard, D.D.S., Jack S. Boston, James L. Anderson, Personal Representative of Robert L. Anderson and Harrison O. McLeod, Appellants in Nos. 94-1930, 94-2066. Iona Cunningham, as representative of the estate of Charles Cunningham, and Twila Sneed, Appellants in Nos. 94-1931, 94-2010. Aileen Cargile, Betty Francom, John Wong, John Soteriou, Harold Hans Emmerich and Thomas Corey, Appellants in Nos. 94-1932, 94-2012. William J. Golt, Sr. and Phyllis Golt, Appellants in Nos. 94-1960, 94-2011. Joe and Lynne Dominguez, Appellants in No. 94-2067. Kathryn Toy, individually, and as representative of the estate of Edward Toy, Appellants in Nos. 94-2068. John Paul Smith, Appellant in No. 94-2085. Casimir Balonis, Margaret Balonis and Shepard A. Hoffman, Appellants in No. 95-1705.

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.

Decided May 10, 1996.

Sur Petition for Panel Rehearing June 27, 1996.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Steven J. Cooperstein, Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler Philadelphia, PA, for George Windsor, Constance Windsor, Michael Windsor and Karen Windsor, Appellants in Nos. 94-1925, 94-2009.

Brian L. Wolfman (Argued), Alan B. Morrison, Alan T.L. Sun, Public Citizen Litigation Group, Washington, DC, for White Lung Association of New Jersey, National Asbestos Victims Legal Action Organizing Committee, The Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union, The Skilled Trades Association, Myles O'Malley, Marta Figueroa, Robert Fiore, Roh Maher, and Lynn Maher, (on her own behalf and as next friend for her minor children, Jessica Marie Maher, Jamie Marion Maher, and Jennifer Megan Maher), Appellants in Nos. 94-1927, 94-1968.

Laurence H. Tribe (Argued), Brian S. Koukoutchos, Jonathan S. Massey, Cambridge, MA, Brent M. Rosenthall, Counsel of Record, Frederick M. Baron, Steve Baughman, Baron & Budd, P.C., Dallas, TX, for Richard R. Preston, Sr. and Louis C. Anderson, Appellants in Nos. 94-1928, 94-2013.

Joseph D. Shein, Shein, Johnson & Berezofsky, Philadelphia, PA, for Albert and Margaret Hertler, Appellants in No. 94-1929.

Marla A. Macey, Timothy J. Hogan, Law Office of Peter G. Angelos, Philadelphia, PA, for Richard E. Blanchard, D.D.S., Jack S. Boston, James L. Anderson, Personal Representative of Robert L. Anderson and Harrison O. McLeod, Appellants in Nos. 94-1930, 94-2066.

Steven Kazan, Aaron Simon, Kazan, McClain, Edises, Simon & Abrams, Oakland, CA, Brad Seligman (Argued), Jocelyn Larkin, Donna Ryu, Albany, CA, David Rudovsky, Kairys, Rudovsky, Kalman & Epstein, Philadelphia, PA, for Iona Cunningham, as representative of the estate of Charles Cunningham, and Twila Sneed, Appellants in Nos. 94-1931, 94-2010 and Aileen Cargile, Betty Francom, John Wong, John Soteriou, Harold Hans Emmerich and Thomas Corey, Appellants in Nos. 94-1932, 94-2012.

Joshua M. Spielberg, Tomar, Simonoff, Adourian & O'Brien, Haddonfield, NJ, for William J. Golt, Sr. and Phyllis Golt, Appellants in Nos. 94-1960, 94-2011.

David R. Donadio, Brayton, Gisvold & Harley, Novato, CA, for Joe and Lynne Dominguez, Appellants in No. 94-2067.

Douglas B. Canfield, Jacobs & Crumplar, Wilmington, DE, for Kathryn Toy, individually, and as representative of the estate of Edward Toy, Appellants in Nos. 94-2068.

James L. Ferraro, Ferraro & Associates, Miami, FL, for John Paul Smith, Appellant in No. 94-2085.

Shepard A. Hoffman, Baltimore, MD, for Casimir Balonis, Margaret Balonis, and Shepard H. Hoffman, Appellants in No. 95-1705.

Gene Locks (Argued), Jonathan Miller, Greitzer & Locks, Philadelphia, PA, Ronald L. Motley, Joseph F. Rice, Ness, Motley, Loadholt, Richardson & Poole, Charleston, SC, L. Joel Chastain, Desa A. Ballard, Ness, Motley, Loadholt, Richardson & Poole, Barnwell, SC, for Appellees, Robert A. Georgine; Laverne Winbun, Executrix of the estate of Joseph E. Winbun, deceased, and in her own right; Ambrose Vogt, Jr.; Joanne Vogt, his wife; Carlos Raver; Dorothy M. Raver, his wife; Timothy Murphy; Gay Murphy, his wife; Ty T. Annas; Anna Marie Baumgartner, Executrix of the Estate of John A. Baumgartner, deceased; Nafssica Kekrides, individually and as administratrix of the estate of Pavlos Kekrides, deceased; William H. Sylvester, Executor and Personal Representative of the estate of Fred A. Sylvester, deceased.

John D. Aldock (Argued), Wendy S. White, Elizabeth Runyan Geise, Richard M. Wyner, Heather H. Anderson, Shea & Gardner, Washington, DC, John G. Gaul, Lawrence Fitzpatrick, Center for Claims Resolution, Princeton, NJ, for Appellees, Amchem Products, Inc.; A.P. Green Industries, Inc.; Armstrong World Industries, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; C.E. Thurston & Sons, Inc.; Dana Corporation; Ferodo America, Inc.; Flexitallic, Inc.; GAF Building Materials, Inc.; I.U. North America, Inc.; Maremont Corporation; Asbestos Claims Management Corp**; National Services Industries, Inc.; Nosroc Corporation; Pfozer, Inc.; Quigley Company, Inc.; Shook & Fletcher Insulation Company; T & N, PLC; Union Carbide Corporation**; United States Gypsum Company.

Stephen F. Brock, Manta & Welge, Philadelphia, PA, Joseph T. Mallon, Dunn, Haase, Sullivan, Mallon, Cherner & Broadt, Media, PA, R. Jeff Carlisle, Aaron L. Bowers, Lynberg & Watkins, Los Angeles, CA, Elit R. Felix, II, Margolis, Edelstein & Scherlis, Philadelphia, PA, James J. Rodgers, Dilworth, Paxson, Kalish & Kauffman, Philadelphia, PA, Wilson M. Brown, III, Drinker, Biddle & Reath, Philadelphia, PA, Thomas C. DeLorenzo, Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin, Philadelphia, PA, Robert R. Reeder, William P. Shelley, Cozen & O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA, Lawrence M. Silverman, Silverman, Coopersmith, Hillman & Frimmer, Philadelphia, PA, John P. O'Dea, Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, Philadelphia, PA, Daniel P. Lynch, Timby, Brown & Timby, Philadelphia, PA, Marc I. Bressman, Budd, Larner, Gross, Rosenbaum, Greenberg & Sade, Cherry Hill, NJ, David J. D'Aloia, Saiber, Schlesinger, Satz & Goldstein, Newark, NJ, Allan C. Molotsky, Post & Schell, Philadelphia, PA, Theresa W. Hajost, Chadbourne & Parke, Washington, DC, Lisa B. Zucker, German, Gallagher & Murtagh, Philadelphia, PA, Rudolph Garcia, Saul, Ewing, Remick & Saul, Philadelphia, PA, Joseph L. Ruby, Wiley, Rein & Fielding, Washington, DC, for Remaining Appellees.

Dan Morales, Attorney General, Jorge Vega, First Assistant Attorney General, Laquita A. Hamilton, Deputy Attorney General for Litigation, Paul Elliott, Assistant Attorney General, Chief, Natural Resources Division, Brian E. Berwick, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Attorney General of Texas, Environmental Protection Division, Natural Resources Division, Austin, Texas, for State of Texas-Amicus Curiae.

Arthur H. Bryant, Leslie A. Brueckner, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, Washington, DC, Roberta B. Walburn, Robins, Kaplan, Miller, & Ciresi, Minneapolis, MN, for Asbestos Victims of America and Trial Lawyers for Public Justice-Amicus Curiae.

W. Donald McSweeny, Robert H. Riley, Catherine Masters Epstein, Schiff, Hardin & Waite, Chicago, IL, James D. Miller, King & Spalding, Washington, DC, Philip McWeeny, David L. Gray, Owens-Illinois, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, for Owens-Illinois, Inc.-Amicus Curiae.

Robert G. Vial, Dallas, Texas, Gordon S. Rather, Jr., Little Rock, Arkansas, for American Board of Trial Advocates-Amicus Curiae.

Before: BECKER, GREENBERG, and WELLFORD, Circuit Judges.


OPINION OF THE COURT

BECKER, Circuit Judge.

Every decade presents a few great cases that force the judicial system to choose between forging a solution to a major social problem on the one hand, and preserving its institutional values on the other. This is such a case. It is a class action that seeks to settle the claims of between 250,000 and 2,000,000 individuals who have been exposed to asbestos products...

Let's get started

Leagle.com

Welcome to the leading source of independent legal reporting
Sign on now to see your case.
Or view more than 10 million decisions and orders.

  • Updated daily.
  • Uncompromising quality.
  • Complete, Accurate, Current.

Listed below are the cases that are cited in this Featured Case. Click the citation to see the full text of the cited case. Citations are also linked in the body of the Featured Case.

Cited Cases

  • No Cases Found

Listed below are those cases in which this Featured Case is cited. Click on the case name to see the full text of the citing case.

Citing Cases