In a Jan. 29 decision that reinforces the state-federal judicial balance and could impact other similar cases, a federal judge ruled that a negligence and intentional tort case brought forth by the son of a senior employee of a meat processing plant who died after contracting COVID-19 at work should be remanded to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas where it commenced in May 2020 and removed less than a month later to federal court.

And despite defendants referencing guidelines by federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), during a national health crisis, the case didn’t rise to the federal court level, the judge said.