Overview

• Filed May 29, 2025, the lawsuit asserts that Juliana Leon’s death from hyperthermia during the June 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome was virtually impossible without human-driven warming.
• Misti Leon charged Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 and Olympic Pipeline Company with negligently contributing to her mother’s fatal exposure by failing to warn of known climate risks.
• Plaintiffs rely on advanced climate attribution science and peer-reviewed analyses linking the record-breaking 108 °F heat to fossil fuel–induced warming.
• Public Citizen and the Center for Climate Integrity issued statements supporting the case as a novel route for holding companies accountable, including potential criminal liability for climate negligence.
• Legal experts say the case could establish a precedent for civil liability in individual climate-related deaths and influence the broader wave of climate accountability litigation.