Former Automotive Mechanic Files Benzene Suit, Says Exposure Caused Development of MDS

BOSTON –– A former automotive mechanic has filed a benzene lawsuit in a Massachusetts federal court, contending that his work with a number of parts cleaning solvents led him to develop Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

In the July 2 complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the plaintiff invokes the discovery rule, saying that while he was diagnosed with MDS in Dec. 2009, he did not learn of the cause of his illness until April 2013.

Plaintiff Ralph Girardi asserted the action, contending that his work as an automotive mechanic and hobbyist performing mechanical work for …