Jury rules in favor of railroad

NATCHEZ — A federal jury in Natchez found that Mississippi plaintiffs’ attorneys William Guy and Thomas Brock committed fraud and breached the duty of good faith and fair dealing in asbestos claims they filed against Illinois Central Railroad, according to the railroad.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers filed lawsuits on behalf of two individuals who had already received compensation for asbestos-related injuries in a previous lawsuit.

The jury found that Guy & Brock of McComb submitted fraudulent information to Illinois Central to conceal their clients’ involvement in the earlier case, which would have barred their clients’ claims against Illinois Central. The jury awarded Illinois Central full repayment of the $210,000 it paid on those claims plus an additional $210,000 in punitive damages.

“Illinois Central is pleased that a Mississippi federal jury held these plaintiffs’ lawyers liable for fraud in asbestos claims against us,” said Karen Phillips, vice president of public and government affairs for Illinois Central. “Our company will continue to aggressively pursue all suspected fraud or litigation abuses.”

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