Federal Judge Dismisses Bhopal Lawsuit
Federal Judge Dismisses Bhopal Lawsuit
By Larry Neumeister
Associated Press
NEW YORK CITY ââ A federal judge threw out a lawsuit Tuesday that sought damages for those living near the deadly 1984 gas leak that killed thousands in Bhopal, India, saying Union Carbide Corp. had done enough and that too much time had passed.
US District Judge John F. Keenan tossed out civil claims against the Danbury-based company and Warren Anderson, its one-time chief executive officer.
The judge rejected arguments raised in a 1999 lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan that tried to revive legal claims stemming from the worldâs worst industrial accident.
About 4,000 people died within hours of a deadly gas leaking from the plant in the central Indian city on December 2, 1984. More than 20,000 were injured. Over the years, the death toll has risen above 14,400 as those sickened by the gas died, according to the Indian government.
The gas leaked from a pesticide plant in which Union Carbide had a 50.9 percent stake. Union Carbide accepted moral responsibility for the disaster, but blamed the disaster on sabotage by a disgruntled employee.
The lawsuit was filed by a woman who said she was injured by ground water contamination after she moved within a quarter mile of the plantâs perimeter.
The lawsuit needed to overcome earlier court rulings and settlements that limited monetary awards and the jurisdiction of claims.