Jacksonville, MD ExxonMobil Gas Leak Case
Encyclopedia
The Jacksonville, MD ExxonMobil gas leak case is a series of lawsuits against ExxonMobil
as a result of a February 2006 underground gasoline leak from an ExxonMobil service station in Jacksonville, Maryland.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleged ExxonMobil of fraud, a charge eligible for punitive damages
if found guilty. The fraud alleged ExxonMobil's actions of intentional malice through their effective non-action in stopping the leak and providing adequate monitoring to prevent the spill.
This lawsuit was represented by Snyder, Weltchek, and Snyder. Additional lawsuits have been filed by individual families. Another large group of plaintiffs are currently being represented by The Law Offices of Peter Angelos
as of May, 2011.
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
as a result of a February 2006 underground gasoline leak from an ExxonMobil service station in Jacksonville, Maryland.
Case History
In February 2006, nearly 26,000 gallons of gasoline leaked from a Jacksonville, MD ExxonMobil station over a period of 37 days. Nearly 300 plaintiffs subsequently sued for over $1 billion for the contamination of their wells, loss of property value, physical and mental harm. The case put a spotlight on MTBE, a gasoline additive known to cause cancer in laboratory rats.Additionally, the lawsuit alleged ExxonMobil of fraud, a charge eligible for punitive damages
Punitive damages
Punitive damages or exemplary damages are damages intended to reform or deter the defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit...
if found guilty. The fraud alleged ExxonMobil's actions of intentional malice through their effective non-action in stopping the leak and providing adequate monitoring to prevent the spill.
This lawsuit was represented by Snyder, Weltchek, and Snyder. Additional lawsuits have been filed by individual families. Another large group of plaintiffs are currently being represented by The Law Offices of Peter Angelos
Peter Angelos
Peter G. Angelos , is an American trial lawyer.Angelos is also the majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, a baseball team in the American League East Division.-Career:...
as of May, 2011.
Case Resolution
- In March, 2009, a Baltimore County, MarylandBaltimore County, MarylandBaltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
jury awarded the nearly 300 plaintiffs $150 million award. The awards consisted of $300,000-$1,000,000+ for the value of their homes, $4,000-500,000 for medical expenses/monitoring depending on family size and age of its members, and an average of $1 million for emotional stress. The medical monitoring will test for 4 types of cancer annually.
- ExxonMobil has appealed the damaged award amount, claiming the high value of the award is inconsistent with the actual value of the harm done by the spill and is more reflective of a roundabout way of awarding punitive damages.
- In 2008, ExxonMobil settled with the State of Maryland for $4 million for cleanup, with a possible $1 million additional fine if they do not adhere to the clean-up schedule. ExxonMobil states it has spent over $38 million as of 2009 for clean-up efforts. The entire clean-up process could take a decade or more.