On November 15, 2011 the family of a child cancer patient filed a Complaint against BP, Chevron, and other owners and operators of a bulk petroleum transport and storage facility near the boy’s home.
The plaintiff, who was born and raised within a half-mile radius of the facility, was diagnosed at age four with a specific type of childhood leukemia associated with benzene exposure. Unbeknownst to the child’s family, the defendants had engaged in documented and illegal disposal methods of toxic chemicals, including benzene, for years. The improper and hazardous activities included dumping toxic waste on the ground near the child’s house and contamination of a drinking water well which the child’s family used.
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, names some of the world’s largest oil companies, including BP, Chevron, Unocal, Transmontaigne Product Services, Gulf Oil, Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy, LLC, Colonial Pipeline, and Plantation Pipe Line.
The family is represented by Chris Nidel of Nidel Law, PLLC in Washington, D.C., and Matt Harman of Harman Law LLC in Atlanta, Georgia.
This post is for informational purposes only and is not legal or medical advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
ABOUT THE AUTHORChris NidelChris Nidel is the founding partner of Nidel & Nace. A chemical engineer by training (University of Virginia and MIT), he worked in pharmaceutical process development before earning his law degree at the University of Virginia. He now represents individuals and communities harmed by environmental contamination and toxic exposures.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORJonathan NaceJonathan Nace is a partner at Nidel & Nace, where his practice focuses on complex consumer protection, including deceptive food and supplement labeling, insurance misconduct, and data privacy. He has tried cases in state and federal court and argued before federal appellate courts.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORZachary KelsayZachary Kelsay is an attorney at Nidel & Nace supporting the firm’s environmental and consumer protection practices. He previously clerked for the 23rd Circuit Court in West Virginia and worked in the Maryland Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
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