Libby residents fight trio of bills that could make suing corporations more difficult
In this April 27, 2011, file photo, the entrance to downtown Libby, Mont., is seen. BNSF Railway attorneys are expected to argue before jurors Friday, April 19, 2024, that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of the asbestos-contaminated Montana town, one of the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
A suite of bills that critics say could make it harder to sue corporations faced strong opposition from Libby residents at a Montana Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday.
House Bills 301, 302 and 303 would overhaul key aspects of the litigation process and sparked concern for Libby residents still in the throes of a decades-long legal battle to receive compensation for asbestos-related injuries.
“[The legislation] will have, in my estimation, a very real and devastating impact on the cases going forward in Libby,” said Roger Sullivan, a Kalispell lawyer who has represented plaintiffs in thousands of asbestos injury lawsuits.
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