A Plaquemines Parish jury decision last week for Chevron to pay $745 million in damages has drawn fierce reactions from industry allies, legal reform advocates and watchdog groups who warn of the case’s future implications, The Center Square reports.
“This verdict is just the latest blow to Louisiana’s reputation as a place hostile to business,” said Lauren Sheets Jarrell, vice president and counsel for civil justice policy at the American Tort Reform Association. “It’s emblematic of a broader culture of lawsuit abuse that threatens jobs and discourages investment.”
The Louisiana case fits into a growing wave of lawsuits nationwide that seek to hold energy companies financially liable for the effects of climate change.
The verdict is the first jury trial result from more than 40 lawsuits filed by Louisiana parishes since 2013 and industry groups are warning that the verdict could set a dangerous precedent.
“Lawsuits are not economic development,” says Lana Venable, executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch. “This kind of jackpot justice reinforces Louisiana’s status as a judicial hellhole and sends the wrong signal to job creators.”
