Overview

• Misti Leon filed a wrongful death lawsuit in May 2025 against ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 and Olympic Pipeline Co., claiming their products caused her mother’s death.
• The complaint cites a peer-reviewed study finding the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome would have been virtually impossible without human-driven climate change.
• Juliana Leon died of hyperthermia on June 28, 2021, after Seattle reached a record 108°F and her car’s air conditioning failed during the unprecedented heat wave.
• Chevron’s attorney dismissed the claim as “far-fetched” and contrary to law and science, while other defendants have declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.
• Legal experts warn the case could set a new precedent by holding fossil fuel firms liable for individual climate-related deaths and influence future accountability suits.