Court Upholds Silica Settlements Despite Fraud, Conspiracy Allegations

HOUSTON - An appeals court has rejected an attempt by several plaintiffs to reopen their silicosis cases after they accused their attorneys of failing to inform them that the hundreds of thousands of dollars they were paid by defendants was considered an aggregate settlement. Authorlee, et al. v. Tuboscope Vetco International Inc., et al., No. 01-06-00719 (Texas Ct. App., First Dist.).

The Texas First District Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 28 that a trial court did not err when it refused to grant the plaintiffs a new trial on the ground that their attorneys committed fraud and colluded with defense …