Nation IN BRIEF : ALASKA : Judge Allows Punitive Claims Against Exxon
A federal judge has dismissed arguments by Exxon Corp. that sought to bar claims for punitive damages arising from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the attorneys for private spill plaintiffs said. U.S. District Judge Russel Holland ruled against arguments by Exxon and its units Exxon Shipping and Exxon Pipeline that the 1973 Trans Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act immunized them against punitive claims for oil spills, the attorneys said. A trial to determine liability for the 11 million-gallon spill, the worst tanker disaster in U.S. waters, is scheduled to start May 2 in federal court in Anchorage. The litigants are seeking about $3 billion in compensatory damages and several billion dollars in punitive damages.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
