Benzene Plaintiffs in Louisiana Agree to Dismiss Claims Against Former Employer

NEW ORLEANS –– Benzene plaintiffs with claims pending in Louisiana have agreed to dismiss all claims pending against defendant Independent Drilling LLC just weeks after the defendant moved for summary judgment on grounds that the claims were barred by the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act.

The dismissal was noted in a joint stipulation of dismissal with prejudice filed July 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The plaintiffs brought the claims on behalf of Franklin Ronald Jackson Sr., who was allegedly exposed to benzene while working on a number of vessels in the Ocean Drilling …