Jurisdiction Lacking Over Defendant in Scleroderma Silica Case, Appeals Court Says

BEAUMONT, Texas - A state appeals court has dismissed a jeweler's silica claim against a metal polishing compound supplier after determining that the plaintiff failed to establish sufficient minimum contacts with the state where the lawsuit was brought. Thunderbird Supply Co., Inc. v. Williams, No. 09-04-279 (Texas Ct. App., Ninth Dist.).

In a decision issued March 24, the Ninth District Texas Court of Appeals ruled that the trial court erred in denying the special appearance of defendant Thunderbird Supply Co., Inc. because plaintiff Leslie Williams failed to allege that the company maintains continuous and systematic contacts with Texas, such that …