Defendants Urge Sanctions for Failure to Produce Settlement Records

PHILADELPHIA - Defendants in Pennsylvania are seeking attorneys' fees and outright dismissal of numerous silica claims as sanctions for plaintiffs' alleged failure to comply with an order requiring them to provide defendants with settlement records from their silica or asbestos cases. In Re: Philadelphia Silica Product Liability Litigation, March Term 2003 No. 0001 (Pa. Comm. Pls., Philadelphia Cty.).

In a motion filed Sept. 22 in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, Empire Abrasive Equipment Corp. alleges on behalf of all defendants in the state's coordinated litigation that despite being ordered to do so, plaintiffs have failed to submit complete records of agreements …