Michigan Laws 600.3012 – Asbestos action; duties of plaintiff before initial date set for trial; duty to supplement information and materials; failure to comply with section; dismissal
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Terms Used In Michigan Laws 600.3012
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Asbestos: means chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, asbestiform winchite, asbestiform richterite, asbestiform amphibole minerals, and any of these minerals that have been chemically treated or altered. See Michigan Laws 600.3011
- Asbestos action: means a claim for damages or other civil or equitable relief presented in a civil action that arises out of, is based on, or is related to the health effects of exposure to asbestos, and any other derivative claim made by or on behalf of an individual exposed to asbestos or a representative, spouse, parent, child, or other relative of the individual. See Michigan Laws 600.3011
- Asbestos trust: means a government-approved or court-approved trust, qualified settlement fund, compensation fund, or claims facility that is created as a result of an administrative or legal action, a court-approved bankruptcy, or under 11 USC 524(g), 11 USC 1121(a), or another applicable provision of law and that is intended to provide compensation to claimants arising out of, based on, or related to the health effects of exposure to asbestos. See Michigan Laws 600.3011
- Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 600.3011
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- Plaintiff: means the person bringing the asbestos action, including a personal representative if the asbestos action is brought by an estate, or a conservator or next friend if the asbestos action is brought on behalf of a minor or legally incapacitated individual. See Michigan Laws 600.3011
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
- Trust claims materials: means a final executed proof of claim and all other documents and information related to a claim against an asbestos trust, including claims forms and supplementary materials, affidavits, depositions and trial testimony, work history, and medical and health records, all documents that reflect the status of a claim against an asbestos trust, and, if the trust claim has settled, all documents that relate to the settlement of the trust claim. See Michigan Laws 600.3011
(1) Not later than 180 days before the initial date set for the trial of an asbestos action, the plaintiff shall do all of the following:
(a) Provide the court and parties with a sworn statement signed by the plaintiff and plaintiff’s counsel indicating that an investigation has been conducted and that, based on information reasonably available to the plaintiff and plaintiff’s counsel, all asbestos trust claims that can be made by the plaintiff or any person on the plaintiff’s behalf have been completed and filed. If the plaintiff or plaintiff’s counsel later becomes aware that additional trust claims can be filed, the sworn statement must be supplemented under subsection (2). A deferral or placeholder claim that is missing necessary documentation for the asbestos trust to review and pay the claim does not meet the requirements of this subdivision. The sworn statement must indicate whether there has been a request to defer, delay, suspend, or toll, withdraw, or otherwise alter the standing of any asbestos trust claim, and provide the status and disposition of each asbestos trust claim.
(b) Provide all parties with all trust claims materials, including trust claims materials that relate to conditions other than those that are the basis for the asbestos action and including all trust claims materials from all law firms connected to the plaintiff in relation to exposure to asbestos, including anyone at a law firm involved in the asbestos action, any referring law firm, and any other law firm that has filed an asbestos trust claim for the plaintiff or on the plaintiff’s behalf. Documents provided under this subdivision must be accompanied by an affidavit certifying that the trust claims materials submitted are true and complete.
(c) If the plaintiff’s asbestos trust claim is based on exposure to asbestos through another individual, produce all trust claims materials submitted by the other individual to any asbestos trust if the materials are available to the plaintiff or plaintiff’s counsel.
(2) A plaintiff has a continuing duty to supplement the information and materials required to be provided under subsection (1), and shall do so within 30 days after the plaintiff or a person on the plaintiff’s behalf supplements an existing asbestos trust claim, receives additional information or materials related to an asbestos trust claim, or files an additional asbestos trust claim.
(3) The court may dismiss the asbestos action if the plaintiff fails to comply with this section.