Silica Plaintiffs: Motion for MDL Is Premature, Tantamount to Forum Shopping

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Counsel representing plaintiffs in the Mississippi silica litigation have filed motions opposing a recent attempt by defendants to have more than three dozen silica-related lawsuits transferred to an MDL docket. In re Silica Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1553 (JPML)

In four separate motions filed with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) in mid-June, plaintiffs say they oppose the creation of a Silica MDL because it has not yet been established that there is federal jurisdiction over the underlying cases and that the history of silica litigation is such that it does not necessitate the creation …