Drug Makers: Plaintiffs Misjoined, Physician Fraudulently Joined to HRT-Related Injury Case

DALLAS - The companies that manufactured the hormone replacement products, which allegedly caused two Texas women to develop breast tumors, removed the women's product liability suit to federal court on grounds that one woman's prescribing physician is fraudulently joined to the case and the amount in controversy exceeds the jurisdictional limit of $75,000. Rose Marie Butts, et al., v. Warner Chilcott, Inc., et al., No. 03-CV-1818-P (N.D. Texas, Dallas Div.).

The drug companies also asserted that the plaintiffs are misjoined to the case because one woman levied claims against her prescribing physician, while the second woman had no relationship to …