Ashland Asks Court to Drop Claims of 2 Plaintiffs, Says Joinder is Improper

NEW ORLEANS -- Ashland Inc. has asked a federal court overseeing a benzene complaint to drop two of the three plaintiffs from the suit, contending that the individual plaintiffs' claims do not arise out of the same transaction or involve similar questions of law and fact. Cole, et al. v. Ashland Chemical Inc., et al., No. 09-6584 (E.D. La.).

In a March 23 motion, the defendant asks the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to drop or, in the alternative, sever, the claims because they violate joinder laws.

The underlying claims were asserted by a group …