Read the full article by John O’Brien (Legal Newsline)
“CONCORD, N.H. (Legal Newsline) – New Hampshire’s governor has vetoed legislation that would have given personal injury lawyers a new way to file lawsuits, even when their clients haven’t been injured.
Being able to make a claim for medical monitoring allows lawyers to sue companies with the hope of putting together a multimillion-dollar plan that can boost how much they make on their contingency fees. In New Hampshire, companies involved in the production of PFAS-containing products were nearly exposed to that strategy.
But Gov. Chris Sununu on Aug. 7 vetoed a bill that would have allowed medical monitoring claims, writing that it ‘would subject businesses to increased liability by creating a pathway for almost anyone exposed to hazardous or toxic substances to prove a claim for medical monitoring damages, regardless of the level, risk or consequences of exposure.’
PFAS are a group of chemicals that were used in firefighting foam, non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing, among other products. The State has chosen to impose its own regulations on them while filing lawsuits against companies to try to recover cleanup costs.
A medical monitoring program would have provided health care coverage for individuals exposed to PFAS. Lawyers wouldn’t have had to allege their clients were suffering any health effects from exposure…”