1.   But dissidents talk openly of working with Democrats and passing a bill that would allow such suits while perhaps limiting the damages that could be awarded.

2.   But that would not include allowing suits for punitive damages.

3.   Government lawyers played down that possibility, saying that courts traditionally are quicker to grant rights to federal agencies than to allow suits against the government.

4.   If the judge allows a class suit, the plaintiffs must send a letter informing every member of the class.

5.   Libya is expected to challenge the constitutionality of the law that allows the suits, potentially having an impact on all three cases.

6.   Lawyers would not predict when the judge, James Lawrence King, might reach a decision on whether to allow the suit and hear testimony.

7.   Most of the state laws are broader than the Texas statute and allow suits in a wider range of disputes.

8.   Some states, including Massachusetts and Texas, already allow such suits against their governments.

9.   Supporters of stronger patient protections favor allowing the suits in state courts under state law because that would allow for higher damage awards.

10.   The appeals court said that the law could be read to allow suits over pollution that created an imminent danger sometime in the past.