Court Rejects Efforts by Safety-Kleen to Bar Benzene Claims on Sophisticated User Grounds

DETROIT –– A Michigan federal court has denied efforts by Safety-Kleen Systems Inc. to obtain summary judgment on sophisticated user grounds in a benzene case.

In the Aug. 30 ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan found that the defendant had not established that the decedent’s employer knew about potential dangers associated with Safety-Kleen’s 105 Solvent.

The plaintiffs contend that Howard Hendrian was exposed to the benzene-containing product 105 Solvent, manufactured and supplied by defendant Safety-Kleen Systems Inc. Hendrian came into contact with the allegedly harmful product while working at Ford Motor Co. cleaning …