March 14, 2006
Congress has gotten involved in a national debate over silica lawsuits and Tulane Law Professor Edward Sherman is expected to offer his opinion on the matter. Once seen as the next asbestos or tobacco for class-action lawyers, silica class action lawsuits are under scrutiny.
A Congressional subcommittee is looking into how potential plaintiffs were diagnosed with silicosis, a disabling and often fatal lung disease that comes from inhaling silica dust. Silica is a purified sand used as a cleaning abrasive in sandblasting and in making glass, and other materials.
"For now, the hearings are primarily investigative, but obviously lawmakers are wondering what federal role may be taken here," Professor and former dean Edward F. Sherman told the New York Times.
Sherman was also quoted in the March 8, 2006 edition of the New York Times.
On March 10, 2006, Professor Sherman was quoted in another national media publication, The Wall Street Journal about the ongoing Vioxx trial.