Plaintiff Files Reply Brief In Missouri Benzene Jurisdiction Dispute

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –– A benzene plaintiff has offered additional support for his motion to remand a Missouri complaint, arguing that the removing defendant has fallen short of meeting the “heavy legal burden” of proving that its co-defendant was fraudulently joined.

In a reply brief filed Jan. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the plaintiff contends that the defendant “backtracks in a desperate effort to distinguish the controlling authorities.”

Wade Wiederhold filed the complaint, contending that he was exposed to benzene-containing products while working in trucking and lawn and garden equipment industries. As …