Louisiana Benzene Case Settles Weeks Before Trial

NEW ORLEANS -- Parties scheduled to start trial Dec. 5 have reached a confidential settlement agreement, according to an order of dismissal recently entered in a Louisiana federal court. Wagoner, et al. v. ExxonMobil Corp., et al., No. 09-7257 (E.D. La.).

According to the one-page Nov. 10 order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the court was advised by counsel for the parties that "all of the parties to this action have firmly agreed upon a compromise."

The order thereby dismissed the action without costs and without prejudice.

The underlying lawsuit arose out of …