Louisiana Federal Court Rejects Defense Challenges to Jurisdiction in Benzene Suit, Remands Case

NEW ORLEANS –– A Louisiana federal court has remanded a benzene lawsuit, finding that a magistrate judge correctly allowed the plaintiff to amend his suit, which now successfully levies claims against the sole non-diverse defendant.

In the July 31 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District wrote that the amendment was properly allowed and that the plaintiff would be “presented undue hardship if they were forced to litigate their claims in two courts.”

The plaintiffs contended in their complaint that Travis Thomas developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as a result of exposure to benzene-containing products. Thomas encountered the …