▁Gar lock ' s ▁theory ▁of ▁its ▁li ability ▁dep ended ▁upon ▁an ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁mer its ▁of ▁the ▁claims ▁brought ▁against ▁it . ▁The ▁pla int iffs ▁theory ▁of ▁li ability ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁ext rap olation ▁of ▁Gar lock ' s ▁history ▁of ▁sett ling ▁as best os - related ▁claims . ▁ ▁The ▁law y ers ▁for ▁Gar lock ▁asked ▁the ▁judge ▁for ▁permission ▁to ▁investigate ▁several ▁other ▁similar ▁cases , ▁and ▁provided ▁proof ▁to ▁the ▁court ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁pattern ▁emer ging ▁of ▁" with hold ing ▁evidence " ▁in ▁mes oth eli oma ▁cases . ▁After ▁discovery ▁action ▁of ▁fifteen ▁previously ▁file d ▁cases ▁by ▁pla int iffs ▁against ▁Gar lock , ▁Judge ▁H od ges ▁issued ▁an ▁opinion ▁in ▁his ▁r uling ▁that ▁stated : ▁" The ▁last ▁ten ▁years ▁of ▁its ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁tort ▁system ▁was ▁inf ected ▁by ▁the ▁manip ulation ▁of ▁expos ure ▁evidence ▁by ▁pla int iffs ▁and ▁their ▁law y ers . ▁That ▁t actic , ▁though ▁not ▁uniform , ▁had ▁a ▁prof ound ▁impact ▁on ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Gar lock ' s ▁tri als ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁settlement s ▁such ▁that ▁the ▁amounts ▁recovered ▁were ▁infl ated ." ▁The ▁controvers ial ▁decision ▁by ▁Judge ▁George ▁H od ges ▁limited ▁the ▁total ▁li ability ▁in ▁mes oth eli oma - related ▁law su its ▁of ▁Gar lock ▁to ▁$ 1 2 5 ▁million ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁lower ▁court ' s ▁estimate ▁of ▁$ 1 . 2 5