Cleveland Court Tosses 30,000 Asbestos Lawsuits

County judges in Cleveland, Ohio have tossed more than 30,000 asbestos injury claims to comply with an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that upheld limits on such cases.

Judge Harry Hanna is one of the judges handling 39,000 asbestos cases for Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. He said the action covered claims without serious sickness. Hanna said the cases can be reinstated if plaintiffs start showing symptoms of asbestos damage to lungs.

The court and a state law passed in 2004 restrict the ability of people to pursue claims unless they show evidence of health problems caused by asbestos.

Hanna said that since the court had already determined that the cases did not meet the law’s requirements, the judges could dismiss them all at once.

Source: The Plain Dealer.