Court Rejects Challenges to Petty, Levy Testimony; Case Later Settles

MARSHALL, Texas -- Shortly before parties in a Texas benzene case reached a confidential settlement, the judge presiding over the claims rejected admissibility challenges to testimony from Stephen E. Petty, P.E., CIH and Barry S. Levy, M.D., Ph.D., sources told HarrisMartin. Oakley, et al. v. Air Products and Chemicals Inc., et al., No. 07-351 (E.D. Texas).

In a Nov. 25 one-page order, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas denied four separate Daubert challenges.

The parties remaining in the case picked a jury on Dec. 1, but reached a confidential settlement on Dec. 2, sources told HarrisMartin.