Oil company ignores toxic chemical leak for weeks; exposes 6,000 local residents to dangerous compound that causes ongoing respiratory problems. CMS&C helps victims recover $80 million.

This class action case involved Unocal, a global oil and natural gas company with operations in Rodeo, California. Six thousand area residents were exposed to an odorless chemical compound leak over a 16-day period in 1994. Similar to a prolonged catacarb leak in 1994, Unocal management was fully aware of the dangerous problem and chose to ignore it in order to meet production schedules.

The toxic exposure caused Plaintiffs serious medical problems, including asthma, chronic coughing, upper respiratory irritation, nausea, eye and skin irritation, and neurological problems such as memory loss. Many Plaintiffs suffer from lingering health problems.

CMS&C worked with various industry and medical experts to demonstrate the Defendant's liability and the Plaintiff's damages. The firm helped 600 Plaintiffs attain their share of an $80 million recovery.

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