A Maryland jury has ordered ExxonMobil Corp. to pay $150 million in damages to a class of 300 people who suffered medical and property injuries from wells contaminated by a gasoline leak near Baltimore.
In total, about 26,000 gallons of fuel leaked from a gas station. The leak persisted for 37 days before it was discovered. Approximately 675 gallons of fuel leaked each day during this period. The jury did not find ExxonMobil guilty of fraud in the incident; therefore, damages were only awarded to cover personal injury claims.
Many Baltimore residents have suffered severe devaluation of property values as a result of the incident. One man claims that he will be unable to sell his home for at least 5-10 years as a result of the damage caused by the gasoline leak. Many others have developed health conditions from exposure to toxic substances.
ExxonMobil declared that from the moment they became aware of the leak, they did everything in their power to rectify the situation. Currently, they have spent over $38 million to clean up the area and have complied with all requests made by the Maryland Department of Environment.
Whether intentional or not, when a major company is responsible for releasing hazardous and toxic substances into the environment, they must be held responsible for the financial damage caused by their negligence. It is important to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer if you have suffered any kind of medical or property damage from the negligent actions of a large corporation.
If you have a personal injury claim in the Maryland or Washington, D.C. area, please contact the Law Offices of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.
