Problem faced by Client   

Our client, an energy company, was named in a large complex toxic tort case.  The plaintiffs in the case alleged that our client abandoned electric transformers with PCB’s near public housing. Greene and Letts was retained within a year of trial. This case was challenging because it involved:

• approximately 7000 plaintiffs.

• complex causation issues.

• severely limited time to prepare matter for trial due to the late stage that Greene and Letts was brought into the case

Outcome Desired by Client

The client wanted to reduce the 7000 plaintiffs to a manageable number to pave the way for a favorable settlement or effective defense at trial.

Defense Strategy employed by Greene and Letts:
 Aggressive Discovery and Motion Practice

Greene and Letts conducted a large number of depositions in a short period of time followed by aggressive motion practice.  This laid the framework for dismissal of more than 94% of the plaintiffs.

Outcome Obtained by Greene and Letts      

The overall number of plaintiffs was reduced by 94% from 7000 to 400.  This set the stage for a favorable settlement that required our client to pay less than $2,500 per plaintiff.

 Client Reaction                                          

The client was very impressed with the way the case was handled and viewed the settlement of the case with less that 6% of the original plaintiffs as a victory.