Ernst Law Group's $63 Million Victory Exposes Big Oil's 75-Year Toxic Cover-Up
Ernst Law Group's $63 Million Victory Exposes Big Oil's 75-Year Toxic Cover-Up
LOS ANGELES, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Daily Journal has named plaintiff attorney Taylor Ernst of Ernst Law Group as one of 2024's California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) award winners for his landmark victory in Wright v. Union Oil Company of California. A Santa Barbara Superior Court jury awarded a $63 million verdict against Chevron, exposing a decades-long cover-up of benzene's deadly risks.
洛杉磯，2024年6月26日 / PRNewswire / - 洛杉磯每日法律期刊評選Ernst Law Group的原告律師Taylor Ernst爲2024年的加州律師年度獎（CLAY）得獎者之一，表彰他在Wright v. Union Oil Company of California的重大勝利。聖巴巴拉高等法院的陪審團判決Chevron支付6300萬美元的賠償金，揭示苯的致命風險長達數十年之久的掩蓋行爲。
Ernst uncovered crucial evidence: A 1948 document by the American Petroleum Institute, a lobbying group for oil companies, stating, "It is generally considered that the only absolutely safe concentration for benzene is zero." Despite this early knowledge, oil companies literally pushed dirt over the problem, concealing the toxic threat beneath unsuspecting families' homes.
恩斯特發現了關鍵證據：一份美國石油學會（一個石油公司的遊說組織）於1948年發佈的文件稱：“苯唯一的絕對安全濃度通常被認爲是零。”儘管有這個早期的知識，石油公司卻用土掩蓋了這個問題，將有毒的威脅隱藏在毫不知情的家庭的房屋下。
Dr. Dean Felsher, a Stanford University professor and cancer researcher, provided powerful insight: "Benzene is not just carcinogenic, it's genotoxic. This means it damages DNA in a way that can be passed down to children, creating a toxic legacy that spans generations." The result is that when oil companies downplay the dangers of benzene, it becomes a widely used product. According to the American Cancer Society, "Benzene is one of the 20 most widely used chemicals in the United States."
斯坦福大學教授和癌症研究人員Dean Felsher博士提供了有力的見解：“苯不僅是致癌的，而且是遺傳毒性的。這意味着它以一種有害後代的方式損害DNA，形成跨越幾代的有毒遺產。”結果是，當石油公司淡化苯的危險時，它成爲了一種廣泛使用的產品。根據美國癌症協會的說法：“苯是美國使用最廣泛的20種化學品之一。”
"This wasn't just a trial, it was war," said Ernst. "We exposed how Big Oil hid the truth for 75 years, putting profits over people's lives and potentially harming generations to come." Kevin Wright unknowingly built his family home on a former oil pit in Santa Maria, California. Years later, Wright developed a rare blood cancer, setting the stage for this landmark case.
“這不僅僅是一次庭審，這是一場戰爭，”恩斯特說。“我們揭示了大石油在75年裏如何隱瞞真相，在把利潤置於人們生命之上，可能危害世世代代。”Kevin Wright不知情地在加利福尼亞州聖瑪利亞的一處舊油坑上建造了他家。多年後，Wright患上了一種罕見的血液癌症，爲這個重要的案例奠定了基礎。
The jury found that Chevron, which had acquired Union Oil, had covered up the existence of a toxic pit on which Wright's home was built. This led to Wright's exposure to benzene and subsequent cancer diagnosis more than 25 years after living in the home.
陪審團發現，Chevron收購Union Oil後，隱瞞了Wright家房屋所建立的毒性坑存在。這導致Wright暴露於苯並在住在家中25年後被診斷出癌症。
"This verdict sends a clear message to corporate giants," Ernst stated. "If you are a corporation, you should be taking care of your shareholders, but not at the expense of violating the law and harming public health."
“這個裁決向企業巨頭髮出了明確的信號，”恩斯特說。“如果你是一個企業，你應該照顧你的股東，但不應在違反法律和危害公共衛生的情況下提高利潤。”
Ernst's influence extends beyond this case. He has emerged as a prominent figure in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) litigation, offering guidance and support to fellow lawyers through seminars and trial assistance.
Ernst的影響超出了這個案例。他已經成爲創傷性腦損傷（TBI）訴訟中的重要人物，並通過研討會和審判協助向其他律師提供指導和支持。
The Daily Journal recognized the plaintiff's trial team for both the 2024 CLAY award and the 2023 Top Verdict for Dollar Amount.
《每日法律期刊》表彰了原告的審判團隊，頒發了2023年最高賠償金的“2024 CLAY獎”和“2023年度最高判決獎”。團隊成員包括恩斯特律師事務所，正義訴訟律師團隊的Don Ernst，Terry J. Kilpatrick和Danielle E. Miller; Jakob Z. Norman，Brian J. Ward，Erin L. Powers和Ansley O'Brien。
The team includes Taylor Ernst, Don Ernst, Terry J. Kilpatrick, and Danielle E. Miller; of the Ernst Law Group; Trial Lawyers for Justice; Jakob Z. Norman, Brian J. Ward, Erin L. Powers, and Ansley O'Brien.
這個判決爲美國所有或靠近舊油坑居住的數以萬計的其他潛在受害者打開了大門，挑戰了大石油的有毒遺產和它的跨代影響。
This verdict opens the door for countless other potential victims living on or near former oil sites across America, challenging Big Oil's toxic legacy and its multi-generational impact.
凱文·懷特無意中在加利福尼亞州聖瑪麗亞市的一座舊油坑上建造了他的家庭住所。多年後，懷特被診斷出罕見的血液癌症——成爲本次重大訴訟的案例。陪審團判決雪佛龍（Chevron）掩蓋了懷特家居住區底下的一個毒污泥池的存在，而這可能是懷特患癌症的原因。
SOURCE Ernst Law Group
Ernst Law Group
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。