Jefferson County is the core of the Golden Triangle — the Beaumont and Port Arthur refineries, the Port Neches petrochemical plants, and the shipping that served them. The refinery trades here were reportedly exposed to asbestos throughout their working lives.
Every Texas asbestos case follows the same path: it is filed in the county of proper venue, transferred to the statewide Texas Asbestos MDL pretrial court (the 281st District Court in Harris County) for pretrial proceedings, and then remanded to the county for trial. Texas allows two years from a mesothelioma or asbestos-cancer diagnosis to file (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003).