ExxonMobil has been ordered by a Pennsylvania jury to pay $725.5 million to a former mechanic, Paul Gill, who claimed that the company’s gasoline and solvents, which contained toxic chemicals, caused his cancer.
The verdict came after a trial in a state court in Philadelphia, where Gill alleged he was exposed to benzene in ExxonMobil products while working at a gas station between 1975 and 1980. The jury found Exxon liable for negligently failing to warn about the health risks of benzene, a known carcinogen according to the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (EPA).
Gill, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2019, stated in his 2020 lawsuit that he used petroleum products to clean car parts, which exposed him to benzene through direct skin contact and inhalation.
Patrick Wigle, an attorney for Gill, said the verdict is important as it’s a finding that ExxonMobil’s gasoline causes cancer.
Despite ExxonMobil’s knowledge that benzene causes cancer, the company resisted warning the public and taking basic precautions to limit exposure.
ExxonMobil called the verdict “irrational” and plans to exhaust all available appeals.
Source: Reuters