Calif. Federal Court Remands Asbestos Action, Says ‘Federal Question is Uncertain at Best’

SAN FRANCISCO –– A California federal court has remanded an asbestos exposure suit, ruling in part that it would be a stretch to suggest that a defunct regulatory scheme is a “substantial federal issue.”

In the Oct. 13 order, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found that a “federal question is uncertain at best.”

The plaintiffs asserting the claims contended that decedent George Fenicle was exposed to asbestos. Three years after filing the lawsuit, the plaintiffs amended the complaint to include Boise Cascade Co. and OfficeMax Inc. as defendants in the action.

The defendants subsequently removed …