Union Carbide Found Liable in Asbestos Trial

Dow Chemical Co.’s Union Carbide was found liable for thousands of asbestos-related illnesses and deaths in a West Virginia trial. A series of hearings will assess whether damages are warranted in individual cases, opening the door to millions of dollars in potential claims.

The trial in Charleston originally was to have pitted more than 8,000 plaintiffs against 250 corporations, including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Honeywell International Inc. But after failing in a bid to get the U.S. Supreme Court to block the case, most defendants settled or had claims against them dismissed.