Pa. Court Denies Efforts to Apply New York Substantive Law to Benzene Case in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA –– A benzene defendant’s efforts to apply New York substantive law to a Pennsylvania case have been denied by a trial court, according to a recent order.

In a one-page order issued March 7, the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia County denied U.S. Steel’s second attempt to try the case under New York law. Seven months ago, the court also rejected efforts by U.S. Steel to have the case dismissed on forum non conveniens grounds.

David Butler and his wife, Teri Rhodes, filed the lawsuit after Butler developed Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. The plaintiffs …