2 Plaintiffs Lawyers Lose Civil RICO Case re CSX Asbestos Claims; Federal Jury Awards $429K
Two Pittsburgh lawyers were found civilly liable by a federal jury in Wheeling, W.Va., along with a doctor they hired to screen asbestos cases, for helping railroad employees pursue fraudulent claims against CSX Transportation.
Lawyers Robert N. Peirce Jr. and Louis A. Raimond violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, as well as state law concerning fraud, the jury decided last month. It awarded a little over $429,000 against the two attorneys and Dr. Ray A. Harron, the Legal Intelligencer reports.
Eleven fraudulent cases, which CSX contended were part of a broader pattern of conduct, were at issue. The civil RICO verdict could result in damages being trebled, the Associated Press reports.
The jury also rejected counterclaims by the defendants, though another attorney from Peirce and Raymond’s law firm was previously dismissed from the case.
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Railroad Claims Asbestos Law Firm Engaged in Racketeering”
