That's what happened in mass-tort settlements involving asbestos, Vioxx, fen-phen and other products, where lawyers cleverly bundled hundreds or even thousands of claims that might not stand a good chance in court with a few that threatened blockbuster verdicts.

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In other large product-liability cases, such as cigarettes or asbestos, there seems to be a well-established link between the products and a specific disease, such as asbestosis or lung cancer.

ECONOMIST: Product liability: Of cigarettes and silicone | The

In a hearing scheduled for mid-January, Bernick will try to persuade a Delaware bankruptcy judge to value as worthless tens of thousands of claims stemming from lawsuits against Grace, which used asbestos in spray-on fireproofing and Zonolite insulation and other fireproofing products.

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The HSE said it was involved in two separate strands of work - the investigation into the management of asbestos at the school and the other into research sampling.

BBC: Asbestos: More concerns over Cwmcarn High School future

In this case, Atlanta-based National Service Industries sued doctors and testing services it says provided X-rays and other data lawyers used to support claims their clients had been injured by asbestos fibers.

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In an intriguing reversal of roles, the Manville Trust, along with several other defendants in asbestos cases, will go before a Federal Appeals Court next month to get clearance for multi-billion-dollar claims against tobacco manufacturers (Owens Corning has filed a similar suit in California).

ECONOMIST: Asbestos claims