Asbestos Litigation Reform – H.B. 1207

| January 23, 2023

Asbestos claimants will have to support their claims with a

Asbestos claimants will have to support their claims with a medical report signed by a treating physician demonstrating that the claimant has asbestos-related impairment according to objective medical criteria. For claims involving a malignant condition, the trial court will be required to hold a hearing to determine if the exposed person’s cancer is asbestos-related. Within 45 days of filing an asbestos or silica action, a plaintiff must file a sworn information form that specifies the evidence that provides the basis for each claim against each defendant and include supporting documentation. In addition, absent consent of all parties, asbestos cases may be joined for trial only if the cases relate to the exposed person and members of that person’s household. Codifies a legal doctrine called the “bare metal” defense, which holds that a manufacturer or seller of a product, such as a pump, is not liable for later-added external thermal insulation or replacement internal components, such as gaskets, made or sold by a third party. Permits a seller to obtain dismissal when the seller has simply been part of the chain of distribution of a product that is alleged to have caused a harm. The law applies to all asbestos claims filed on or after August 1, 2021.