Vermont Court Dismisses 3rd-Party Action Filed Against Barton Solvents

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- A Vermont court has dismissed a third-party action filed against Barton Solvents, ruling that the company could not have reasonably anticipated that its solvents would be incorporated in products sold in the state. Emery, et al. v. Shell Oil Co., et al., No. 80-2-09 (Vt. Super. Ct., Washington Unit).

In the Jan. 14 ruling, the Washington Unit of the Vermont Superior Court opined that Cleveland Lithichrome, who filed the third-party complaint, did not sufficiently establish a showing of minimum contacts that would support personal jurisdiction in Vermont.

The plaintiffs allege that Daniel Emery's illness and death …