BASF Must Face Asbestos Coverup Fraud Claims, Court Says
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BASF SE, the world’s biggest chemical maker, was ordered to face claims it fraudulently hid evidence that its talc products contained asbestos as it sought to scuttle thousands of personal-injury lawsuits.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia yesterday revived a suit alleging a unit of BASF, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and law firm Cahill, Gordon & Reindel LLP systematically concealed damaging evidence and manufactured documents to defeat claims that its talc contained cancer-causing asbestos. The unit mined talc, a mineral used in products ranging from wallboard to balloons.