Fossil fuel companies sued for climate change wrongful death in a landmark Washington case. A woman filed a lawsuit against seven oil and gas companies. She claims their products caused a deadly heat wave in 2021. Her mother died of hyperthermia during the hottest day recorded in Washington.
The lawsuit names Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and BP’s Olympic Pipeline Company. It says these companies knew for decades about the harm their products caused. However, they did not warn the public. The lawsuit links the extreme heat that killed Juliana Leon directly to climate change caused by fossil fuels.
Scientists have connected the 2021 “heat dome” to human-caused climate change. Peer-reviewed studies say the event was “virtually impossible” without it. Experts explain that burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases. These gases trap heat and worsen weather events. The lawsuit uses this science to hold companies responsible.
Lawsuit Targets Fossil Fuel Giants for Climate-Driven Death
Filed in Washington state court, the lawsuit accuses Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and BP’s Olympic Pipeline Company subsidiary of knowingly contributing to climate change. The plaintiff argues these companies failed to warn the public about the dangers their fossil fuel products pose—dangers that culminated in a deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave.
On June 28, 2021, the region experienced an unprecedented heat wave, recording a blistering 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.22 degrees Celsius)—the highest temperature ever documented in the state. Juliana Leon, 65, had just driven 100 miles for an appointment. Her car’s air conditioning failed during the journey, so she rolled down the windows to cool off. Tragically, she later pulled over, was found unconscious behind the wheel, and despite emergency medical efforts, she died from hyperthermia.
Fossil Fuel Companies Accused of Ignoring Climate Risks
The lawsuit asserts that these fossil fuel corporations understood the harmful effects of their products decades ago. “By 1968, Defendants knew their fossil fuel-dependent economy would intensify climate change, causing more frequent and severe weather disasters, and foreseeable human deaths,” the filing states. It holds that the extreme heat that took Juliana Leon’s life was directly linked to climate alterations driven by these companies’ products.
Chevron’s legal counsel, Theodore Boutrous Jr., condemned the suit, calling it “a politicized climate tort litigation” that exploits a personal tragedy and lacks legal and scientific merit. Other defendants declined to comment or did not respond to requests.
Scientific Evidence Links Heat Dome to Climate Change
Scientists worldwide have increasingly connected record-breaking heat waves to climate change, largely fueled by burning fossil fuels like oil and gas. Peer-reviewed research specifically links the 2021 “heat dome” to human-driven climate change, calling it “virtually impossible without it.”
Korey Silverman-Roati, a senior fellow at Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, explained, “Scientific understanding has advanced to the point where experts can confidently say such extreme events wouldn’t have occurred without climate change.”
This case’s specificity, he noted, may help the public grasp the direct consequences of climate change and corporate behavior on human lives.
Legal Landscape: Growing Climate Accountability Efforts
This lawsuit represents a relatively rare attempt to hold fossil fuel companies liable for an individual’s death tied to climate change. Misti Leon, the plaintiff and Juliana’s daughter, seeks monetary damages but has not specified the amount.
Across the U.S., states and cities have increasingly pursued legal action against fossil fuel companies to hold them accountable for climate-related harms. Hawaii and Michigan recently announced lawsuits targeting the industry. However, these cases have met resistance, including counter-lawsuits from the U.S. Justice Department.
During the Trump administration, efforts to combat climate change faced significant setbacks. The U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement, weather disaster tracking by NOAA was reduced, and EPA regulations addressing greenhouse gas dangers were rolled back. Meanwhile, federal policies pushed to expand oil and gas production under an “American energy dominance” agenda.
Global Context: Climate Lawsuits Gain Momentum
Worldwide, courts are examining climate-related lawsuits with significant implications. A recent German court ruling dismissed a Peruvian farmer’s claim against an energy company for greenhouse gas emissions threatening his home. Still, the Washington case stands out for attempting to link fossil fuel company actions to a specific death caused by climate-fueled heat.
Legal experts see this trend accelerating. Don Braman, a law professor at George Washington University, warns, “As the climate crisis worsens, deaths from extreme weather will rise. Holding fossil fuel companies accountable becomes increasingly crucial and foreseeable.”
Fossil Fuel Industry’s Decades of Knowledge and Denial
The lawsuit highlights that major oil and gas firms have long been aware of the dangers their products pose to the climate. According to Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, “Big Oil has known for decades that their actions would cause catastrophic climate disasters, yet they lied and accelerated the problem instead of taking responsibility.”
By failing to warn the public and obstructing climate research, these companies allegedly prioritized profits over people’s safety, contributing directly to worsening climate impacts and preventable deaths like Juliana Leon’s.
