CHARLESTON – Gov. Jim Justice has signed legislation making changes to how asbestos lawsuits are filed. Justice signed House Bill 2495 on April 15. The law, which will go into effect this summer, requires plaintiffs in asbestos cases to file a sworn information form that specifies evidentiary basis for each claim and provide supporting documentation. The intent of the legislation is to stop the practice of over-naming of asbestos defendants in which plaintiffs’ lawyers name companies as defendants then often dismiss the claims against companies with no liability after months or years of litigation. Behrens Supporters of the new law say this tactic has unnecessarily driven up litigation costs, contributed to corporate bankruptcies and slows resolution of cases, delaying recoveries for plaintiffs.