Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-06396/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-06396-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Product Liability

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IN RE: ROUNDUP PRODUCTS 

LIABILITY LITIGATION

MDL No. 2741

Case No. 16-md-02741-VC

This document relates to: 

Trosclair v. Monsanto Co., 19-cv-6396

PRETRIAL ORDER NO. 192:

GRANTING MOTION TO REMAND

Re: Dkt. No. 6765

Monsanto removed this case under 28 U.S.C. § 1441(b) despite the absence of complete 

diversity on the ground that Roland Trosclair, a citizen of Louisiana, fraudulently joined five

Louisiana defendants. Because there is a possibility that a state court could find that 3M Cattle

was negligent, Trosclair’s motion to remand is granted. Grancare, LLC v. Thrower by and 

through Mills, 889 F.3d 543, 549 (9th Cir. 2018); see Pretrial Order No. 191, Dkt. No. 7844

(describing principles of fraudulent joinder of defendants).

Trosclair performed agricultural work for 3M Cattle, which allegedly provided him a 

leaky backpack sprayer. Complaint ¶¶ 15, 88, 199–200. A leaky backpack sprayer’s primary risk 

is the increased exposure of its wearer to harmful chemicals. Even if the specific risks posed by

Roundup were unknown, a state court might find that 3M Cattle’s provision of a defective 

sprayer foreseeably caused Trosclair’s cancer by increasing the amount of Roundup he absorbed 

through his skin. La. Civ. Code Art. 2316; see Morris v. Orleans Parish School Board, 553 

So. 2d 427, 429–30 (La. 1989) (asking whether “the risk that caused the accident was within the 

scope of the duty”). This defect could have been discovered “in the exercise of reasonable care” 

by 3M Cattle, the “owner or custodian” of the sprayer. La. Civ. Code Art. 2317.1. Thus, it is not 

Case 3:19-cv-06396-VC Document 59 Filed 11/19/19 Page 1 of 2
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“obvious” that Trosclair has no claim for relief against 3M Cattle. Morris v. Princess Cruises, 

Inc., 236 F.3d 1061, 1067 (9th Cir. 2001).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 19, 2019

______________________________________

VINCE CHHABRIA

United States District Judge

Case 3:19-cv-06396-VC Document 59 Filed 11/19/19 Page 2 of 2