Toxic exposure claims from welders became a bigger factor for insurers when a federal jury in Ohio returned a $20.5 million verdict for a welder who said he was made ill by the fumes from his work.
The recent verdict illustrates that welder claims "belong on the emerging risk radar scope as something insurers have to be aware of," said Robert P. Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute.
A statement for the five welding rod manufacturers who were defendants in the case said they would appeal and defend themselves against "baseless claims" and expect to be successful. But David Shelton, a lawyer for the plaintiff--Jeffery Tamraz, 51, of Grant's Pass, Ore.--characterized the case as a breakthrough and a turning point for such suits.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
