Judge Orders Defendants to File Individual Objections to Silica Complaints

PHILADELPHIA - The judge overseeing the silica mass tort litigation docket in Philadelphia has ordered defendants to file preliminary objections to each of the 89 complaints filed in the consolidated proceedings. In re: Silica Products Liability Litigation, March Term 2003, No. 0001 (Pa. Comm. Pls., Philadelphia Cty.).

Judge Norman Ackerman of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas issued the order sua sponte on Jan. 7 after months of wrangling over the adequacy of the plaintiffs' short-form complaints, which allegedly failed to show that the majority of plaintiffs are suffering from a compensable, silica-related injury.

Sources told HarrisMartin Publishing that the …