Brown
LAKE CHARLES - A plaintiff represented in part by Provost Umphrey attorney Darren Brown recently reaped a $17.5 million verdict in his benzene suit against several oil giants.
According to an article in the Gilmer Mirror, a one week trial against Chevron USA, Inc., Texaco, Inc. and Unocal ended on Feb. 10 in Calcasieu Parish with the jury awarding the plaintiff $17,498,391.87 in damages.
The article states the plaintiff was a former petroleum inspector and suffered extensive benzene exposure in his work upon ships and barges in Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas.
This exposure allegedly caused acute myelogenous leukemia, which he was diagnosed with at the age of 48, the article states.
Attorney Wells Watson with Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan in Lake Charles also represented the plaintiff.
Defendants' lawyers were Robert Scott with Blank Rome, and Gary Bezet with Kean Miller.