Louisiana Court Retains Jurisdiction over Asbestos Claims, Says In-State Defendant Fraudulently Joined

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has retained jurisdiction over an asbestos case set for a January trial, ruling that the only Louisiana-based defendant remaining in the case was fraudulently joined.

In the Dec. 3 order, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana opined that the evidence used to support the claims against the in-state defendant was “tenuous,” and, as such, it was not reasonably possible for a state court to impose liability on the defendant.

The case was slated for a Jan. 13 trial date in state court, according to the order.

The …