U.S. Supreme Court denies firms' appeal in asbestos case

WASHINGTON (Oct. 8)—The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday denied to hear an appeal by a group of companies arguing that consolidation of a large number of asbestos cases in West Virginia violated fundamental fairness rules, according to a Reuters report. About 8,000 plaintiffs claiming exposure to asbestos had sued 250 defendant companies, but by the time the state-level trial started the week of Sept. 23, all but four of the defendants had settled, Reuters reported. The only remaining defendants are ExxonMobil Corp., the parent company of Advanced Elastomer Systems L.P., Dow Chemical Co.'s Union Carbide unit, Amchem Inc. and John Crane International, a Smiths Group P.L.C. subsidiary and automotive water pump seal producer.