Date: 11-10-2000

Case Style: Roberts, et al. v. Exxon Corp.

Case Number: 45,664 and 49,339

Judge: Unknown

Court: District Court, Iverville Parish, Louisiana

Plaintiff's Attorney: Richard Nemeroff, Jennifer Britton, Lawrence Gettys, Virginia Heimsath and Scott Frost, Baron & Budd, Dallas, Texas

Defendant's Attorney: Gary Bezet, Robert Dille and Gregory Anding of Kean, Miller, Hawthorne, D'Armond, McCowan & Jarman, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Description: Products Liability - Asbestos - Plaintiffs worked as ironworkers, boiler-makers and pipe-fitters in an Exxon Refinery near Baton Rouge in the 1950s and 1960s. There were exposed to asbestos. Durbin was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1997 and died in 1998. Roberts was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1994 and died in 1995.

Exxon denied that it had acted wrongfully based upon the state of knowledge at the time.

Outcome: The jury found that Exxon and others were at fault and awarded Durbin's family $4 million and Roberts' family $5.25 million and found that Exxon was 20% at fault in causing Durbin's illness and 12.5% at fault in causing Roberts' illness. Exxon's liability totaled about $700,000.

Plaintiff's Experts: Unknown

Defendant's Experts: Unknown

Comments: News reported indicated that other defendants in the case settled with the plaintiffs for undisclosed sums before trial.

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