A Pennsylvania jury has ordered ExxonMobil to pay $725.5 million in compensatory damages to a former mechanic who claimed that toxic chemicals in the company’s gasoline and solvents caused his cancer.
The jury reached this 10-2 verdict on Thursday after a week-long trial in a Philadelphia state court.
Former Mechanic Blames Benzene Exposure
The plaintiff, Paul Gill, alleged that he suffered benzene exposure from ExxonMobil products while working at a gas station between 1975 and 1980. Benzene, classified as a known carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was present in the gasoline and solvents Gill used to clean car parts with his bare hands.
An ExxonMobil spokesperson labeled the verdict as “irrational” and confirmed the company’s intention to seek a reversal from the court, exhausting all available appeals.
Mechanic Diagnosed with Leukemia
Gill, now 67 years old, filed his lawsuit in 2020 after receiving a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer, in 2019. His lawsuit asserted that ExxonMobil negligently failed to warn about the health risks of benzene despite decades of knowledge about its carcinogenic properties.
Benzene: A Widely Used Chemical with Health Risks
Benzene is a commonly used chemical in the United States, found in motor fuels, solvents, and various industrial applications. The EPA, while regulating benzene levels in fuels, acknowledges its presence in emissions from burning fossil fuels, car exhaust, and gas station evaporation.
Verdict Raises Concerns about Benzene Exposure
Patrick Wigle, an attorney for Gill, emphasized the significance of the verdict, stating, “This verdict is important because it’s a finding that their gasoline causes cancer. ExxonMobil has known for decades that benzene causes cancer, yet they resisted warning the public and taking basic precautions to limit exposure.”
This case highlights the ongoing debate about the safety of benzene and the responsibility of companies to inform consumers and workers about potential health risks associated with their products.