N.C. Court Awards Summary Judgment to Sunoco, CRC Industries in Benzene Case; Denies Motion as to U.S. Steel

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –– A North Carolina federal court has tossed benzene claims against several defendants, including CRC Industries and Sunoco, finding that the plaintiffs, in part, had failed to present sufficient evidence establishing a causal link between the defendant’s products and the plaintiffs’ development of AML.

In the March 24 order, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina did deny efforts by U.S. Steel Corp. to obtain summary judgment, concluding that the claims asserted against that company were not preempted or time-barred.

Plaintiffs Bruce and Janice Rhyne filed the underlying complaint, contending that Bruce Rhyne’s Acute …