Iowa Federal Court Awards Summary Judgment in Benzene Case in Wake of 8th Circuit Opinion

DES MOINES, Iowa –– An Iowa federal court has awarded summary judgment to defendants named in a benzene exposure lawsuit in the wake of an 8th Circuit opinion determining that the court should have originally granted the defendants’ motion since the lawsuit was discharged in bankruptcy.

In a March 14 order, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa awarded summary judgment to defendants Lyondell Chemical Co., Equistar Chemicals LP, and Equistar GP, LLC; prior to the 8th Circuit’s finding, a jury had awarded $3.52 million to the plaintiffs.

In January, the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals …