Court Rejects Federal Defense, Finds Adequacy of Warnings in Question

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- A federal court has rejected summary judgment motions by Shell Oil Co., in a benzene case, finding that there was a question whether the fuel manufacturer adequately warned a jet mechanic of possible dangers in a benzene-containing fuel. Lambert v. BP Products, et al., No. 04347 (S.D. Ill.).

In the April 6 decision, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois opined that while there are 'strong indicators' that the United States approved the specifications for the jet fuel, there are also questions about how much the United States knew of the toxicity …