A Washington state judge has allowed a novel wrongful death lawsuit against major oil firms to proceed toward trial. The case alleges that fossil fuel companies knew about climate risks for decades but misled the public. Nearly 40 similar suits are now pending across the United States.
Misti Leon sued Exxon Mobil, BP, Chevron, Shell and other oil majors last year. She claims the companies' actions contributed to extreme heat that killed her mother during a 2021 heat dome in the Pacific Northwest, when temperatures reached 108 degrees Fahrenheit.
A King County judge ruled against the companies' motions to dismiss the suit earlier this month. The decision allows the case to advance to the discovery stage. At least five other lawsuits, in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, the District of Columbia and Honolulu, have also reached this phase.
The oil industry has responded by lobbying for legal protections. Several states including Utah, Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Louisiana have passed laws shielding fossil fuel firms from climate-related claims. The American Petroleum Institute has listed stopping such liability policies as a 2026 priority.
A Supreme Court review of a Boulder, Colorado, case is scheduled for this fall and could influence other proceedings. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently issued a report strengthening the scientific link between climate change and extreme weather.