Court Rejects Effort to Prevent Release of Medical, Asbestos Info

SAN FRANCISCO - A state appeals court has rejected an attempt by silica plaintiffs to stop what they say is an unfair and one-sided discovery process aimed at 'ferreting out' allegedly illegitimate cases through a prejudicial pre-litigation screening procedure. Bradley v. Superior Court of Alameda County, No. A116846 (Calif. Ct. App., First Dist.).

In a Feb. 27 decision, the California First District Court of Appeal summarily denied as untimely a consolidated petition for writ of prohibition filed by five plaintiffs who sought an immediate stay of compliance deadlines set by the court overseeing the majority of the state's silica cases. …