A woman has brought the very first unjustified death trial Against Big Oil, saying that the climate neglect of fossil fuel companies caused the death of his mother during a big heat wave.
Juliana Leon died from Seattle hyperthermia at 65 in the Dome of Heat North -West Heat 2021 – an event that killed nearly 200 people, and what, according to meteorologists, would have been “Practically impossible” without Global warming.
“The day died of Julie was the hottest day ever recorded in Washington with temperatures SeattleWhere Julie died, culminating around 108F, ”reads the trial, deposited Wednesday by Misti Leon, the daughter of Juliana Leon
Because they did not warn the public of the dangers of the planet’s heating emissions, the major fossil fuel companies should be held responsible for this death, supports the case.
“When a tragedy like the death of Julie results from the prolific use of fossil fuels, it is easy to reject misfortune as an accident rather than a predictable consequence of the deception of defendants,” said the trial. He names Exxonmobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, Conocophillips, Phillips 66 and the Olympic Company subsidiary managed by BP as defendants.
The Guardian contacted each of the companies appointed in the pursuit for comments. Shell and Phillips 66 refused to comment.
The new trial represents a new border for disputes of climate responsibility, following dozens of proceedings brought by cities and states against Big Oil in recent years. Previous proceedings have accused companies of vioder the laws on product responsibility and consumer protection and to engage in fraud and racketeering. But the case on Wednesday is the first attempt to hold the oil companies responsible for a death linked to the individual climate.
“Mortal climatic disasters are the foreseeable and planned consequences of specific actions for fossil fuels, CEOs and boards of directors,” Aaron Regunberg, director of Consumer Advocacy Group Public Citizen. “They caused the climate crisis and deceived the public on the danger of their products in order to block and delay solutions that could prevent thermal deaths like those of Juliana.”
The new trial is a civil matter, but Regunberg has spent years Affirm that prosecutors could also bring criminal accusations against big oil, including homicide. A 2023 report published in the Harvard environmental journal argued that oil companies could be accused of all kinds of homicide accusations, other than the first degree murder.
“The victims of Big Oil are worth responsibility,” said Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, who follows and supports disputes of climate responsibility, in a press release. “This is an industry that causes and accelerates the climatic conditions that kill people. They have known him for 50 years, and at some point, they must be held responsible. ”
