Benzene Defendants Move to Dismiss for Lack of Specificity, Cite Mangialardi

JACKSON, Miss. -- Several defendants named in a Mississippi benzene lawsuit have moved to dismiss, arguing that the plaintiffs have failed to comply with Mississippi's pleading requirements. Fowler, et al. v. First Chemical Corp., et al., No. 05-16 (S.D. Miss.).

In a Feb. 14 motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, the defendants cite a recent Mississippi Supreme Court decision governing the specificity with which a plaintiff must assert causes of action.

According to the motion, the plaintiffs 'do no more than allege that they used or were exposed to various chemicals, including benzene …