As an unusual heat dome sent temperatures in the Pacific Northwest soaring to 108 degrees Fahrenheit on June 28, 2021, Juliana Leon pulled her car over and rolled down the windows, overwhelmed by the heat.
Hours later, when emergency medical workers reached Ms. Leon, she had died of hyperthermia, or overheating. Her internal body temperature was 110 degrees Fahrenheit, according to court documents.
On Wednesday, Ms. Leon’s daughter, Misti, sued seven oil and gas companies, claiming wrongful death. The suit alleges that they failed to warn the public of the dangers of the planet-warming emissions produced by their products and that they funded decades-long campaigns to obscure the scientific consensus on global warming.
The case represents a major escalation in the growing efforts to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change.
Cities and states have been bringing climate lawsuits against big oil and gas producers for years now, claiming they engaged in deceptive marketing, fraud and even racketeering.
But experts said Ms. Leon’s case, filed in state court in Washington, was the first time that fossil fuel companies have been sued over the death of an individual as a result of conditions caused by man-made climate change.
