Plaintiffs Appeal Summary Judgment Order to 8th Circuit

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Benzene plaintiffs have filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, requesting that the court review a federal court's decision to grant summary judgment to ExxonMobil and Sea River Maritime. Marsch v. Exxon Mobil Corp., et al., No. 03-1646 (E.D. Mo.).

The notice of appeal was filed Oct. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

In a Sept. 15 decision, the federal court ruled that reliance on Material Safety Data Sheets was not sufficient to establish overexposure to benzene. The decision effectively precluded the …