Ex-Exxon Employee Wins $5.1M Award

February 22, 2002

The Associated Press

Thursday, February 21, 2002; 10:04 AM

LOS ANGELES -- A Superior Court jury ordered Exxon Mobil Corp. to pay $5.1

million to a former merchant seaman who claimed toxic fumes emitted by crude

oil caused his bladder and prostate cancer, attorneys said.

Jurors listened to testimony for two weeks and reached a decision Wednesday

after only two days of deliberations. They ordered Exxon to pay 54-year-old

Dwayne $1.3 million for loss of earnings and medical expenses and

$3.8 million for pain and suffering.

was a crew member aboard several oil tankers, including the

ill-fated Exxon Valdez, for an Exxon subsidiary, Sea River Maritime Inc. He

alleges that Exxon officials waited nearly two years to tell him that a

physical exam he took aboard one of the ships detected blood in his urine -

a sign of possible bladder cancer.

By the time he learned he has cancer, it had spread to his prostate, said

's attorney .

" Now he has a high probability of losing his bladder and may lose his life, "

said.

A message left for Exxon officials for comment was not immediately returned.

, who now lives in Oregon, has had four surgeries to remove the

cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatments. His attorneys said after

finished his medical treatment he requested an assignment away from

petrochemicals but was soon fired. did not have medical benefits or

a pension plan.

Under maritime law, oil companies are required to obtain physical exams for

employees every 30 months.

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