In re Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation

• Decision Date: 25 September 1984
• Docket Number: MDL No. 381.
• Citation: In re Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation, 597 F. Supp. 740 (E.D. N.Y. 1984)
• Parties: In re "AGENT ORANGE" PRODUCT LIABILITY LITIGATION.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Eastern District of New York

597 F. Supp. 740

In re "AGENT ORANGE" PRODUCT LIABILITY LITIGATION.

MDL No. 381.

United States District Court, E.D. New York.

September 25, 1984 as Modified.

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Stephen J. Schlegel, Schlegel & Trafelet, Ltd., Chicago, Ill.; Benton Musslewhite, Law Offices of Benton Musslewhite, Inc., Houston, Tex.; Thomas Henderson, Henderson & Goldberg, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Phillip E. Brown, Hoberg, Finger, Brown, Cox & Molligan, San Francisco, Cal.; Stanley Chesley, Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley, Cincinnati, Ohio; John M. O'Quinn, O'Quinn, Hagans & Wettman, Houston, Tex.; Neil R. Peterson and Gene Locks, Greitzer & Locks, Philadelphia, Pa.; Newton B. Schwartz, Houston, Tex.; Irving Like, Reilly, Like and Schneider, Babylon, N.Y.; David J. Dean, Dean, Falanga & Rose, Carle Place, N.Y.; Aaron Twerski, Hempstead, N.Y., of counsel, for plaintiffs.

Leonard Rivkin, Rivkin, Leff, Sherman & Radler, Garden City, N.Y.; Philip Pakula, Townley & Updike, New York City; Wendell B. Alcorn, Jr., Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, New York City; William Krohley, Kelley, Drye & Warren, New York City; Thomas Beck, Arthur, Dry & Kalish, New York City; Richard Goldstein, Shea & Gould, New York City, of counsel; David M. Gross, Budd, Larner, Kent, Gross, Picillo & Rosenbaum, New York City; Henry G. Miller, Clark, Gagliardi & Miller, White Plains, N.Y.; for defendants.

Arvin Maskin, Dept. of Justice, Washington, D.C., for third-party defendant United States.

WEINSTEIN, Chief Judge.

                                 TABLE OF CONTENTS
                Preface and Summary ------------------------------------------------------------   746
                Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------   748
                I.    Procedural History -------------------------------------------------------   750
                      A. Jurisdiction ----------------------------------------------------------   754
                      B. Conflict of Laws ------------------------------------------------------   755
                      C. Class Action ----------------------------------------------------------   755
                      D. Status of Third Party Complaints --------------------------------------   757
                II.   Fairness Hearings --------------------------------------------------------   758
                      A. Legal Requirements ----------------------------------------------------   758
                      B. Reaction of Class Members ---------------------------------------------   764
                         1. Hearings -----------------------------------------------------------   764
                            a. Need for Medical Help for Veterans and Financial Help for Those
                               Too Ill to Work -------------------------------------------------   765
                            b. Need for Medical and Financial Aid for Children Born with Birth
                               Defects ---------------------------------------------------------   765
                            c. Need for Information on Possible Genetic Damage to Veterans
                               and Their Children ----------------------------------------------   766
                            d. Dissatisfaction with the Veterans Administration and the Treatment
                               Received in its Hospitals ---------------------------------------   766
                            e. Inadequacy of the Settlement Amount to Pay Adequate Damages -----   767
                            f. Failure of Chemical Companies to Admit Fault --------------------   768
                            g. Failure of Government to Admit Fault, Participate in Settlement
                               and Accept its Responsibility for Caring for Veterans and their
                               Children --------------------------------------------------------   768
                            h. Possibility of a Coverup of Information with Sealed Files and
                               Return of Documents to Defendants -------------------------------   769
                            i. Need for a Full Open Trial to Vindicate the Plaintiffs and Protect
                               Their Rights to Individual Justice ------------------------------   770
                            j. Inability to Decide Whether to Accept Settlement Without Knowing
                               How it Would be Distributed and How Much would be Spent
                               in Attorneys' Fees ----------------------------------------------   771
                            k. Inadequate Payment by Defendants Relative to Their Resources ----   771
                            l. Inadequate Time to File Claims ----------------------------------   771
                            m. Need to Settle Now to Get on with Life --------------------------   771
                            n. Need for Further Research and Reassurances ----------------------   772
                         2. Written Communications ---------------------------------------------   773
                III.  Factual Problems with Claims ---------------------------------------------   775
                      A. Use of Agent Orange in Vietnam ----------------------------------------   775
                      B. Claimed Effects of Contact with Agent Orange in Vietnam ---------------   777
                         1. General Considerations ---------------------------------------------   777
                         2. Plaintiffs' Evidence of Causality ----------------------------------   782
                      C. Scientific Studies on Causality ---------------------------------------   787
                      D. Knowledge of Government and Defendants --------------------------------   795
                IV.   Legal Problems with Claims -----------------------------------------------   799
                      A. Statutes of Limitations -----------------------------------------------   800
                         1. Introduction -------------------------------------------------------   800
                         2. Standard Multijurisdictional Approach ------------------------------   800
                            a. CPLR 202 --------------------------------------------------------   800
                            b. Application of CPLR 202 to Agent Orange Litigation --------------   802
                            c. CPLR 214 --------------------------------------------------------   804
                

         3. Single Time-bar Period Based Upon Federal or National Consensus
                            Law ----------------------------------------------------------------   804
                            a. Federal Substantive Law -----------------------------------------   804
                            b. National Consensus Law ------------------------------------------   804
                         4. Single Time-bar Period for Class Actions ---------------------------   805
                            a. General Theory --------------------------------------------------   805
                            b. Federal ---------------------------------------------------------   806
                            c. New York --------------------------------------------------------   808
                         5. Single Time-bar Period for American Veterans Based Upon Interpretation
                            of New York Statute ------------------------------------------------   810
                            a. Constitutionality -----------------------------------------------   811
                            b. Construing Provisions to Apply to Nonresidents ------------------   813
                         6. Wives and Children -------------------------------------------------   815
                         7. Vietnam Veterans Living Abroad -------------------------------------   816
                         8. Conclusion on Statutes of Limitations ------------------------------   816
                      B. Failure to Determine Who Was Harmed and Who Caused Harm ---------------   816
                         1. Facts --------------------------------------------------------------   817
                         2. Law ----------------------------------------------------------------   819
                            a. The Problem of the Indeterminate Defendant ----------------------   819
                               (1) Introduction ------------------------------------------------   819
                               (2) Applicable Law ----------------------------------------------   820
                                   (a) Enterprise Liability ------------------------------------   820
                                       (i) Legal Theory ----------------------------------------   820
                                      (ii) Application of Enterprise Liability Theory to this
                                           Case ------------------------------------------------   821
                                   (b) Alternative Liability and Its Variations ----------------   822
                                       (i) Legal Theory ----------------------------------------   822
                                      (ii) Application of Alternative Liability to this Case ---   826
                                   (c) Defendants' Individual Duty to Warn the Government
                                       of Dangers ----------------------------------------------   828
                                       (i) Duty to Warn of Danger in Their Own Product ---------   828
                                      (ii) Duty to Warn of Dangers in Another's Product --------   830
                                   (d) Summary -------------------------------------------------   833
                            b. The Problem of the Indeterminate Plaintiff ----------------------   833
                               (1) Scope of the Problem ----------------------------------------   834
                               (2) Preponderance Rule ------------------------------------------   835
                                   (a) Application of the Preponderance Rule to Mass Exposure
                                       Cases ---------------------------------------------------   836
                                   (b) Inadequacy of Individualized Solutions ------------------   837
                               (3) Possible Solution in a Class Action -------------------------   837
                                   (a) Analogy and Precedent -----------------------------------   839
                                       (i) Employment Discrimination Cases ---------------------   839
                                      (ii) Consumer Class Actions ------------------------------   840
                                   (b) Practical Advantages of Class-wide Solution -------------   841
                         3. Conclusion as to Indeterminate Defendants and Plaintiffs -----------   842
                      C. Nature of Liability and Relations to Defense of Government Knowledge --   843
                         1. Introduction -------------------------------------------------------   843
                         2. Defense Production Act ---------------------------------------------   843
                         3. Law to be

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