A state appeals court charges lawyers suing the Doe Run Lead Company for lead pollution in Herculaneum went venue-shopping when they sued the Doe Run lead company and its president. And, the court says that’s not acceptable. The court has ordered any trial of the suit moved out of St. Louis. The court says the lawyers named a company vice president as a defendant just so they could file the suits in St. Louis, where juries are more apt to side with plaintiffs. One of the lawyers says the ruling will be appealed to the state supreme court. The 15 lawsuits claim Doe Run has contaminted property and has caused children to have high levels of lead in their blood.
