Benzene Defendant Asks Puerto Rico Federal Court to Reconsider Order Denying Summary Judgment Motion

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –– Benzene defendant Makita U.S.A. Inc. has asked a Puerto Rican federal court to reconsider part of a recent order, maintaining that claims asserted by co-plaintiffs should be thrown out since those claims are always contingent upon the primary plaintiff’s claim.

In the May 4 motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Makita argued that while the relative’s tort action is separate and distinct, it is also dependent on the claims of the main plaintiff, Gerardo Campos, whom the court found could not sue his former employer.

The underlying …