7th Circuit Reverses Order Certifying Class Action in Roxana Benzene Contamination Property Damage Case

CHICAGO –– The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit has reversed an order certifying a class of plaintiffs asserting property damage from alleged benzene contamination of properties surrounding an oil refinery, ruling that the District Court should have investigated the “realism” of the plaintiffs’ injuries and damages in light of the defense objections to class certification.

In the Jan. 17 decision, the 7th Circuit reversed the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois’ order and remanded the case with directions to the federal court to revisit the issue of certification.

“The plaintiffs in this case have …