A California jury has reached a verdict, awarding $63 million against Chevron in a case where the oil giant was found to have concealed a toxic chemical pit on a piece of land it later sold, Your Content has learned.
The buyer, Kevin Wright, who constructed a house on the property, was subsequently diagnosed with blood cancer.
According to the lawsuit, Kevin Wright unknowingly built his residence directly over a chemical pit near Santa Barbara in 1985.
Chevron’s subsidiary, Union Oil, had utilized the land as a sump pit for oil and gas production, leaving behind the carcinogenic chemical benzene in the soil.
The land was sold to Wright in 1983, and almost thirty years later, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer that affects blood plasma cells and can be caused by exposure to benzene, as stated in court documents.
The jury in Santa Barbara recently delivered the $63 million verdict, as confirmed by Jakob Norman, Wright’s attorney, who described the case as a clear instance of environmental pollution and corporate wrongdoing.
Chevron has not responded to requests for comment regarding the jury’s decision at this time.
In a statement provided by his legal representatives, Wright expressed his frustration, stating, “They cut corners, and my life was turned upside down as a result.
Chevron’s continued denial of the harm they caused is a shameful reminder that this company values only profits, not people.”
While Wright’s cancer is currently in remission, he continues to undergo chemotherapy treatments to keep the illness at bay, according to his lawyers, according to AP News.
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