New Orleans court home for drywall woes

Tainted Chinese drywall paneling arrived in the United States after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and now the lawsuits stemming from its fetid effects will be based in New Orleans. Centralizing the litigation will streamline the many cases that have gone to court over the building material, which has been used in more than 100,000 homes in multiple states. Pretrial proceedings will be handled by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, who also heard large, geographically sprawling cases against the manufacturers of the drugs Vioxx and Propulsid.