Missouri Benzene Parties Spar over Whether 2 Defendants Fraudulently Joined

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –– Golden Eagle Co. has defended its decision to remove a benzene suit to Missouri federal court, saying that it has produced “substantial evidence” establishing that two of its co-defendants were fraudulently joined.

In a Dec. 12 motion to remand filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the plaintiff had maintained that he had not fraudulently joined two Missouri defendants and further argued that since the removal of the action was frivolous, the federal court should sanction Gold Eagle.

Wade Wiederhold filed the complaint, contending that he was exposed to benzene-containing …