A Philadelphia court has delivered a hefty verdict in favor of plaintiff Paul Gill against ExxonMobil, one of the world’s major oil and gas supermajors. Gill, who alleged his severe acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis was a direct result of exposure to ExxonMobil’s gasoline product, was awarded $725 million in compensatory noneconomic damages. This momentous verdict was determined by a jury under presiding Judge Carmella Jacquinto in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
On top of the notable compensatory noneconomic damages awarded to Gill, the jury also granted his spouse a settlement. His wife was awarded $500,000 for a loss of consortium claim. The jury found ExxonMobil responsible for failing to warn about the presence of benzene, a known carcinogen, in its gasoline.
Detailed information on this ruling is proving to be a significant eye-opener on the risks associated with harmful substances in gasoline products and the associated duty of care for companies within the industry.