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Scores of plaintiffs in recent months have filed a series of asbestos-exposure lawsuits against wood-products company Longview Fibre Co., prompting one analyst to lower his rating on the company's stock to "avoid."
But the Longview-based company says the asbestos claims are unsubstantiated. "We don't feel that it is a significant or substantial matter," said Bob Arkell, the company's vice president for industrial relations and general counsel.
And other wood-products companies including Weyerhaeuser Co. and Boise Cascade Corp. - have- been hit with asbestos lawsuits in recent months, suggesting that the entire industry may be facing a rising tide of asbestos-related claims.
Plaintiffs since November have listed Longview Fibre among the scores of defendants named in four unrelated lawsuits filed in King County, Wash.; Madison County, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Smith County, Miss., according to the company.
In each case, the plaintiffs claim they were somehow exposed to asbestos through the company's products or facilities without being Longview Fibre employees. Employees would have to file workers' compensation claims.
In King County, Victoria M. Loran filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pittsburgh-Corning Corp. and nearly two...