Wash. Court Awards Summary Judgment to Benzene Defendant in Bankruptcy Dispute

SEATTLE –– A Washington federal court has awarded summary judgment to the distributor of a benzene-containing solvent, ruling that the plaintiff had failed to present evidence that the defendant forced the original distributor of the product to file for bankruptcy in an effort to avoid future tort liability.

In the Sept. 10 ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington found that Presstek Inc. (NASDAQ:PRST) could not be held liable for injuries related to exposure from a product manufactured by a company that later sold its assets to Presstek.

Presstek Inc. filed the motion for …