Asbestos Case Management

Civil actions seeking money damages for personal injury or wrongful death allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing products are subject to the Asbestos Case Management Program of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. 

Senior Judge W. Michel Pierson serves as Manager of the Program under the direction of Administrative Judge Audrey J. S. Carrión.   A directory of judicial officers, administrative staff, and office contact information for the Program is located at the bottom of this page.

This page provides information and links to procedures, orders, and directives governing the asbestos docket.

ELECTRONIC FILING

Asbestos cases are exempt from the requirement to use the Maryland Electronic Courts system (MDEC) for case filings and dockets. 

Instead, asbestos case filings must be submitted through File&ServeXpress (FSX).

Key Information:

• Asbestos cases do not appear on MDEC or the Maryland Judiciary Case Search.
• Asbestos case filings may only be made through FSX, not through Odyssey File and Serve.
• Attorneys and other users may access FSX by registering for an account.

For further details, please consult the First Amended Case Management Order for the Electronic Filing of Pleadings (link below). 

Case information may be accessed through the public portal maintained by the Clerk of Court.  For information concerning the public portal, please contact the Civil Division – Asbestos Department at (410) 333-4255.

ASBESTOS CASE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Asbestos cases are governed by Track 5 of the Court’s Differentiated Case Management Plan.   Track 5 includes several appendices that set forth pretrial scheduling orders applicable to different types of asbestos cases.

Trial schedules for asbestos cases are generally based on disease process.  A scheduling order is issued at the time that the case is assigned a trial date.  Cases may be set in trial groups on the request of counsel.  

Mesothelioma cases are governed by the scheduling order appended as Appendix 5. 

Cases of living mesothelioma plaintiffs approved for expedited treatment are governed by the scheduling order appended as Appendix 10.  

Other cases are governed by the scheduling order appended as Appendix 12.

The court may also select cases for scheduling of a status conference to determine what action is necessary for resolution.  Cases scheduled for trial following a status conference are governed by the scheduling order appended as Appendix 9. 

PRE-TRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER TEMPLATES

Proposed scheduling orders submitted to the court for consideration should conform to the applicable template linked below.

• Mesothelioma Scheduling Order – Appendix 5 (PDF)
• Post Status Conference Pretrial Scheduling Order – Appendix 9 (PDF)
• Expedited Mesothelioma Scheduling Order – Appendix 10 (PDF)
• Non-Mesothelioma Case Scheduling Order – Appendix 12 (PDF)

EXPEDITED TREATMENT FOR LIVING MESOTHELIOMA PLAINTIFFS 

The procedure for seeking approval for expedited treatment is set forth in the following orders:

• Order Establishing Procedure for Expedited Treatment of Cases Involving Living Mesothelioma Plaintiffs (PDF)
• Order Amending Procedure for Expedited Treatment of Cases Involving Living Mesothelioma Plaintiffs  (PDF)

CASE MANAGEMENT ORDERS

The following is a non-exhaustive list of orders governing the asbestos docket. Additional orders, directives, or amendments may apply.

• First Amended Case Management Order for the Electronic Filing of Pleadings (PDF)
• Order Establishing Special Pretrial Inactive Docket (PDF)
• Amendments to Order Establishing Special Pretrial Inactive Docket (PDF)
• Order Establishing Special Bankruptcy Inactive Docket (PDF)
• Master Pretrial Order (PDF)
• Amendments to Master Pretrial Order (PDF)
• Order regarding Cross-Claims Among Parties Defendant (PDF)
• Order regarding the Form of Dismissals (PDF)
• Order regarding Dismissals and Cross-Claims (PDF)

PRETRIAL INACTIVE DOCKET FORMS

The following are Forms A and B prescribed by the Order Establishing Special Pretrial Inactive Docket.

• Form A – Inactive Civil Docket Plaintiff Information Form (PDF)
• Form B – Request for Removal from Inactive Civil Docket (PDF)

JUDICIAL OFFICERS
Senior Judge W. Michel Pierson
Senior Judge Pamela J. White
Magistrate Kristin R. Hosseinzadeh

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Jan Bowser, Supervisor
Jan.Bowser@mdcourts.gov
Lisa Anderson, Legal Assistant
Lisa.Anderson@mdcourts.gov

OFFICE INFORMATION
Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse
100 N. Calvert Street, Room 450
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 396-5866 | (410) 396-5857