Judge Splits Plaintiffs' Claims Between Welding Rod and Asbestos MDLs

WASHINGTON -- The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has split Louisiana plaintiffs' asbestos and welding rod injury claims, sending each set of claims to the respective product liability MDLs. McKeithen, et al. v. Exxon, et al., No. 04-365 (M.D. La.).

In a Feb. 17 order, the JPML transferred the claims to the asbestos product liability litigation MDL pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The JPML then separated and remanded the welding rod claims to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, where the complaint was removed to. The JPML then finally …