Meridia Manufacturer States Louisiana Clinic is Fraudulently Joined, Files Notice of Removal

BATON ROUGE, La.-The manufacturers of the weight loss drug Meridia filed a notice to remove a products liability case to federal court claiming that a Louisiana health clinic was fraudulently joined to defeat diversity jurisdiction. Watson v. Abbott Laboratories, et al., No. 02-CV-854 (M.D. La.).

The removal notice also states that the plaintiff's case should be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana since the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 and that the complaint poses a 'substantial federal question' in regards to the plaintiff's state-law claims.

The Aug. 30 notice states that Quick Trim Clinic …