A Philadelphia jury has ruled in favor of a plaintiff who sued ExxonMobil for exposure to benzene and other carcinogens while he was working for them, which he said caused him to develop leukemia. The jury awarded him $725 million, one of the largest such verdicts awarded to a single plaintiff. ExxonMobil says it will appeal the verdict, calling it “irrational” and saying that they are reviewing their options for appeal.

Who is the Plaintiff in This Case?

The plaintiff is a former employee who worked at various times as a gas station attendant, as an auto mechanic, and later as a dairy farmer. Notably, all of these jobs occurred before the merger of Exxon and Mobil in 1999, with the resulting company ExxonMobil inheriting both companies’ properties and liabilities. In 2019, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of highly aggressive cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, which he said has severely impacted his health and his quality of life.

What Did the Plaintiff Allege?

According to the lawsuit filed by the plaintiff, his cancer was caused by exposure to ExxonMobil’s products, including gasoline, degreasers, solvents, and oils, which contain a number of carcinogenic compounds. Most notably, this includes benzene, which is a primary component of gasoline and several other industrial products, and which is tied to a variety of major health problems. The lawsuit accused ExxonMobil of gross negligence, saying they knew these chemicals were dangerous as far back as 1964, and knew of the potential health risks of these chemicals but failed to take steps to warn people or use controls to limit harm to workers like the plaintiff.

What Did The Jury Decide?

The jury ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding him $725 million in damages, finding that ExxonMobil was negligent in failing to protect workers like the plaintiff from benzene and other dangerous chemicals. They found that ExxonMobil, knowing the dangers these chemicals posed, should have provided warnings, instructions and training to help workers mitigate the damage to their own health. They also should have imposed greater controls to prevent accidental exposure to carcinogenic compounds like benzene.

What Happens Now?

ExxonMobil will likely appeal the lawsuit, in order to either get the verdict reduced, or to have it reversed. Their attorney called the verdict “irrational,” and says they are reviewing all options available to them. In the meantime, however, companies like ExxonMobil will need to reconsider how they handle dangerous carcinogens like benzene, and determine if additional steps may need to be taken to avoid similar outcomes in the future.

Williams Cedar is a law firm dedicated to helping clients with personal injury, environmental law, and civil rights cases. We specialize in assisting clients who have been injured due to exposure to environmental toxins, including veterans and their loved ones. If you need legal assistance due to toxic exposure or other related matters, please give us a call at our New Jersey and Pennsylvania offices at (215) 557-0099, or visit our contact page.

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