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.
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