Supreme Court Dashes Hopes for Justice Against Exxon
According to author Riki Ott, last month’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court slashed the Ninth Circuit’s original decision of a $2.5 billion punitive award by nearly 80 percent to $507 million, dashing fishermen’s hope for justice in the longest-running litigation over punitive damages in history related to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound. After attorney fees and taxes, this leaves only $200 million or so for the 32,000 individual claims.
Moreover, the Supreme Court ruled that punitive damages should not exceed actual damages, setting a potentially terrible precedent by limiting corporate liability and removing the ability of citizen groups to hold corporations accountable to the people and the law.
Read more in her forthcoming book: “Not One Drop: Promises, Betrayal, and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill”.
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