FEMA Trailer Plaintiffs Win In Court

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A judge has refused to give the federal
government total immunity from lawsuits that claim many Gulf Coast
hurricane victims were exposed to potentially dangerous fumes while
living in FEMA trailers.
Friday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt says
there is evidence that the Federal Emergency Management Agency
delayed its response to concerns about formaldehyde levels in its
trailers due to liability concerns.
Lawyers for victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita have accused
FEMA of negligence for sheltering people in trailers with elevated
levels of formaldehyde. The preservative can cause breathing
problems and is classified as a carcinogen.
Roughly 800 storm victims are named as plaintiffs in the cases
before Engelhardt, but plaintiffs attorneys want the judge to
certify a class action on behalf of thousands of people who lived
in FEMA trailers after the 2005 hurricanes.