Defendants Remove Thousands of Silica Claims to Federal Court

JACKSON, Miss. - Defendants have joined in the removal of thousands of silica personal injury claims to federal court in Mississippi, and, according to sources, more removals are planned for the coming weeks.

A total of about 20 silica cases filed on behalf of more than 6,000 plaintiffs were removed from state circuit courts over the past week on grounds that the plaintiffs have been fraudulently misjoined and the defendants fraudulently joined to the claims in question. Notices of removal were filed in two groups - one on April 23 and another on May 1 - by several defendants …