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.

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.

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."

"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.

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.

"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."

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.

The Daily Journal recognized the plaintiff's trial team for both the 2024 CLAY award and the 2023 Top Verdict for Dollar Amount.

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.

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.

SOURCE Ernst Law Group