Sunoco Moves for Sanctions in Benzene Case, Cites Lack of Evidentiary Support for Claims

PHILADELPHIA –– Sunoco Inc. has moved for sanctions in a benzene case, contending that the plaintiffs violated Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure when it asserted allegations that lacked evidentiary support, “even after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery.”

In the May 15 motion filed in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia County, Sunoco maintained that the plaintiffs still have yet to produce evidence linking its products to Layne Kleinschmit’s AML.

Plaintiffs Layne and Cynthia Kleinschmit contended in their lawsuit that Layne’s Acute Myelogenous Leukemia was caused by exposure to benzene in the defendants’ products. Kleinschmit was …