Court Upholds $726M Verdict Against ExxonMobil for Benzene

Court Upholds $726M Verdict Against ExxonMobil for Benzene

Introduction

A Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has upheld a jury’s $725.5 million verdict against ExxonMobil in a lawsuit involving cancer caused by exposure to benzene, a component in gasoline.

The court rejected ExxonMobil's post-trial motions and added over $90 million in delay damages, bringing the total award to nearly $816 million. The case involved a plaintiff who worked as a mechanic at a Mobil service station from 1974 to 1979.

During the trial in May, the jury examined evidence showing the plaintiff’s exposure to benzene from gasoline and ExxonMobil’s failure to warn him of the risks. As a result, the plaintiff developed leukemia and colon cancer. The jury found ExxonMobil liable for failing to warn about the dangers of benzene in its gasoline.

Following the initial verdict, ExxonMobil called the decision "irrational" and requested the court reverse it, but that request was denied. ExxonMobil then appealed to the Court of Common Pleas, seeking either a judgment notwithstanding the verdict or a new trial. However, on September 12, the court denied ExxonMobil's appeal, leaving the original verdict intact.