Federal Judge Orders Couple to Plead with Particularity

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - A Mississippi federal judge has ordered plaintiffs in a benzene lawsuit to file an amended complaint more specifically setting out their claims against 89 named defendants. Fowler, et al. v. First Chemical Corp., et al., No. 05-16 (S.D. Miss.).

On Jan. 9, Judge Keith Starrett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi denied defendants' motion to dismiss but granted the alternative motion for a more definite statement.

Judge Starrett ordered plaintiffs Gordon and Carolyn Fowler to file within 60 days an amended complaint including the names of each defendant, a plain statement …