Benzene Defendant Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. Seeks Leave to File Cross-Claims Against Co-Defendants

DAVENPORT, Iowa –– A defendant named in an Iowa benzene action has asked the court for leave to file cross-claims against a number of its co-defendants, arguing in part that it has found agreements which provide for indemnification.

In one of the motions, filed Jan. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. said that one of the storage and product handling agreements provides that Archer-Daniels-Midland was to be named as an additional insured on liability insurance policies.

Plaintiff Cheri Dahlin originally filed suit in Iowa state court on behalf of her deceased …