Insurer Must Pay $80,000 for Defense of Valspar in Benzene Exposure Lawsuits

MINNEAPOLIS — A federal judge has ordered National Union Fire Insurance Co. to pay more than $80,000 in equitable contribution for costs related to the defense of The Valspar Corp. in four lawsuits alleging injury caused by benzene exposure.

Judge John R. Tunheim of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota reached the decision Sept. 12 after rejecting Valspar’s request to relieve National Union of its obligation to pay the bulk of its share of $500,000 in defense costs paid by the Continental Casualty Co. and eventually split between seven insurers.

Continental Casualty and National Union issued commercial …