Federal Court Finds Supplier Defendants' Joinder Proper, Remands Claims

NEW ORLEANS -- A Louisiana federal court has determined that two supplier defendants were not fraudulently joined to a benzene complaint and remanded the claims to the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. Smith, et al. v. Acuity Specialty Products, et al., No. 06-10802 (E.D. La.).

Saying that there was the possibility that the plaintiffs might prevail on their claims against two supplier defendants, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana opted to remand the claims in a Jan. 26 order.

"Defendants may not defeat Plaintiffs' remand motion merely by pointing to what it …