Talc MDL Court Remands Case, Says Plaintiff Didn’t Fraudulently Join In-State Defendant

NEWARK, N.J. –– The federal court overseeing the national multidistrict litigation docket for talcum powder claims has remanded a Louisiana case, finding that the plaintiff had successfully pleaded claims against an in-state defendant.

In the Oct. 12 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the District of Newark held that the plaintiff had alleged that the in-state entity repackaged and rebranded the talcum products and sold them as their own, satisfying the definition of a “manufacturer” under the Louisiana Products Liability Act.

In its opinion, the MDL Court noted that its analysis involved only the issue of fraudulent joinder, not …