JACKSON - A Jones County judge has given thousands of asbestos plaintiffs 30 days to show that they live in the county or were exposed to the harmful fiber there, court documents reveal.
Marcy Croft, an attorney with Foreman, Perry, Watkins, Krutz and Tardy told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the order applies to nearly 16,000 people who have sued companies over asbestos exposure in Jones County Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Billy Landrum made the decision Tuesday.
If the plaintiff's provide information that shows their cases arose from other counties within the state, their suits will be transferred to the appropriate venue, Croft said.
Croft, whose firm represents at least 75 defendants in the asbestos case, said the cases will be dismissed without prejudice if plaintiffs can't show that they live in Mississippi or they were exposed to asbestos here.
"It's a great victory for all Mississippi's," Croft said. "The application of recent Supreme Court rulings will allow the (court) dockets to be cleared."
Croft estimated that half of the plaintiffs are from other states.
Mike Cunningham, an attorney for the law offices of Alwyn Luckey, said the ruling is a blow to those who suffer from illnesses related to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos is a commercial name for several different types of minerals that were commonly used in insulation, fireproofing materials, wallboard materials and automotive brakes until the 1970s.
Its use was drastically scaled back after public disclosure that it had a tendency to break down into microscopic particles that could hang in the air and be easily inhaled, potentially causing lung scarring, breathing problems, cancer or heart failure.
Cunningham would not say how many clients he represents in Jones County Circuit Court, but he did say the number is "substantial." He said about 20 percent of his clients are from other states.
When asked why there are 16,000 asbestos lawsuits filed in Jones County, which has a population of about 65,000 people, Cunningham said lawyers have a duty to take cases "to a jurisdiction where you can present your cases in a better light."
Cunningham said the ruling was akin to "closing the door on the plaintiffs."
Judges for Jefferson, Holmes, Humphreys, Yazoo and Hinds counties have made similar rulings in class-action cases since the Mississippi Supreme Court took up the issue in August.
The justices ruled that plaintiffs have to provide defendants with information on who the plaintiff is suing and why.
Plaintiffs are also told to include when and where the exposure occurred.
The Supreme Court said cases should be dismissed if the information is not provided.
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