Illinois Central Railroad v. Byrd

GRAVES, Presiding Justice,

for the Court:

¶ 1. After a large number of its former employees sued Illinois Central Railroad Company (“ICRR”), alleging occupational exposure to asbestos, plaintiffs’ counsel and ICRR’s counsel met to discuss the possibility of a settlement. Although the parties dispute exactly what transpired at the meeting, they agree that ICRR later sent settlement checks to a substantial majority of the 216 plaintiffs after receiving signed releases and other pertinent information from them. However, ICRR refused to send settlement checks to several remaining plaintiffs. Of…