Appeals Court: Texas Silica Rules Preempted in Jones Act Cases

AUSTIN, Texas - State law requirements for silica plaintiffs asserting Jones Act claims in Texas are preempted by federal law, a state appeals court has ruled in denying mandamus relief to a defendant that failed in its attempt to keep the case in the state MDL. In Re: Global Santa Fe Corp., No. 14-06-00625 (Texas Ct. App., 14th Dist.).

The Fourteenth Texas Court of Appeals on Dec. 20 denied GlobalSantaFe Corp.'s petition for writ of mandamus, in which the defendant argued that a Harris County Judge erred in her decision to remand the case after determining that recently enacted medical …