3M has reached a settlement with a Duluth woman who was paralyzed after being struck by a driver intoxicated from intentionally inhaling 3M-made keyboard cleaner.
3M settles with Duluth woman paralyzed by driver who huffed keyboard cleaner
The driver intentionally inhaled the aerosol spray while driving, lost consciousness and struck a pedestrian.
June 7, 2022 at 4:33PM
Terms of the deal, reached Monday night, were not disclosed.
Ashen Diehl sought to hold 3M responsible for what her lawsuit called "carelessness and negligence" and "its manufacture and sale of an unreasonably dangerous product," 3M Dust Remover.
On Aug. 11, 2012, Robert N. Buehlman huffed the aerosol spray while driving and lost consciousness. He then drove through a red light and veered onto a sidewalk, hitting Diehl, court records say.
Diehl is paralyzed from the waist down as a result.
Buehlman, of Bayfield, Wis., was convicted of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm, a felony.
The civil lawsuit was launched against Maplewood-based 3M in 2018.
The settlement came on the eve of a long-awaited jury trial for the case, which had already been dismissed by a judge and reinstated by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Attorneys for the plaintiff and the company declined to comment, citing the settlement agreement.
3M and Walmart were also sued in 2007 over a California woman's death from huffing 3M Dust Remover. The product has been discontinued.
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Chris Wright, a campaign donor and fossil fuel executive, to serve as energy secretary in his upcoming, second administration.
