Did you purchase homeowners insurance since 2017? Big Oil’s impact on the environment may have caused you to pay higher premiums to insure your property. Fill out the form to find out your rights »
WHAT’S THE ISSUE?
Hagens Berman is examining the rights of those who purchased homeowners insurance to insure a home in Washington state since 2017. According to the firm’s investigation, Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips and the American Petroleum Institute may have systematically conspired to engage in a massive misinformation campaign to obscure their contributions to climate change. While Big Oil continues to profit from climate change, attorneys say ordinary homeowners have been left holding the bag, bearing the burden of increased homeowners insurance premiums, which continue to rise due to weather-related consequences.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M AFFECTED?
The firm’s investigation is comprehensive and seeks to uphold the rights of any and all affected persons harmed by Big Oil’s systematic coverup and denial of the effects of the combustion of fossil fuels and related climate change.
If you fit the below criteria, fill out the form to find out your rights »
- You own property in Washington state and
- Purchased homeowners insurance since 2017
THE RISING COST OF HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE EXPLAINED
Substantial climate-related property losses are being spread across homeowners, insurers and governments, and key findings from the U.S. Treasury Department indicate that homeowners insurance costs are rising fast across the nation, with homeowners in communities affected by substantial weather events paying far more than those elsewhere.
For decades, the fossil fuel industry has known, based on its own internal scientific research, that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollution caused by its highly profitable petroleum products would inevitably lead to “catastrophic” weather-related consequences with “considerable significance to civilization.” These circumstances also increase the threat to homes, facing damaging storms, rising sea levels, wildfires, floods, extreme heat and cold and more. Millions of Americans are now facing the real cost.
THE “DECADES-LONG MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN” EXPLAINED
Rather than informing the public about the risks posed by its very industry, Big Oil chose to protect its profits and self-interest through an alleged deliberate decades-long misinformation campaign, attorneys say. Big Oil sought to sow doubt in the minds of the media, business leaders and the public about the conclusions they themselves had already reached about the substantial consequences that the sale of their products would have. Peer-reviewed research concludes that Big Oil deliberately misled the American public about climate change.
Big Oil’s campaign includes:
- Extensive research into the effects of fossil fuels’ impact on the environment, and systematic coverup of this knowledge avoiding informing the public.
- Direct denial of the impacts of fossil fuels on climate change through a deliberate misinformation campaign, working hand-in-hand with trade organizations, front groups and other organizations.
- Well-funded PR campaigns, lobbying and advertisements branding climate change as a hoax.
- Mischaracterization the state of climate research to sow doubt among the public and further obfuscate the truth.
- Distribution of false information and propaganda to further confuse and mislead the public, paying for the publication of fraudulent research about climate change.
- Covering up funding of dubious scientific reports and failing to disclose underwriting from the fossil fuel industry.
- Targeting universities, the press and critics.
- Obstruction and undermining Congressional investigation into the fossil fuel industry.
- Continued promotion of the use of fossil fuels to promote reliance, while colluding to protect their interests and profit in the future.
BIG TOBACCO REDUX
In the 90s, the U.S. faced a shockingly similar circumstance in which a multiparty industry sought to collectively deceive the population, promoting a product that was actively harmful for its wellbeing. A judge found that Big Tobacco had lied to the American public about the harm its products caused and about its own knowledge of this harm. It continued to hedge its bets that it was too big to fail, pouring billions of dollars into advertising, promotion and fraudulent scientific claims supporting the sale of tobacco and cigarettes.
“The parallels between what the tobacco industry did and what the fossil fuel industry is doing now are striking. In fact, we can go back and re-read those judicial findings about tobacco, substitute the word ‘fossil fuel,’ and exactly describe what the fossil fuel industry is up to,” so stated United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in 2021.
Today, we all know how that saga played out: The American people won against Big Tobacco, resulting in the largest settlement ever in a civil lawsuit, $260 billion. Hagens Berman led the charge, representing 13 states, with managing partner Steve Berman serving as Special Assistant Attorney General.
The firm intends to bring its same pioneering spirit that launched the firm’s success to today’s fight against Big Oil.
YOUR RIGHTS AS A HOMEOWNER
Attorneys seek to bring claims against Big Oil under various federal and state law including the Racketeer Influences Corrupt Practices Act (RICO), conspiracy, unjust enrichment and more.
The six largest oil and gas companies have generated $2.4 trillion in profits since 1990. Hagens Berman believes it’s only fair for the hugely profitable fossil fuel industry to foot the bill for its own actions.
Hagens Berman’s team of environmental experts believes there is no debate that escalating instances of extreme weather have caused insurance companies to increase homeowners insurance premiums, and no doubt of the cause of worsening weather conditions. Just as the fossil fuel industry concluded itself, scientists have also determined fossil fuel pollution is altering the climate.
HOW CAN A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT HELP?
According to attorneys, Big Oil has had a direct and significant impact on climate change, which leads to increased catastrophic weather events. These instances of extreme weather have direct consequences of millions of American homeowners who face rising costs of homeowners insurance premiums. Attorneys believe Big Oil has knowingly left everyday homeowners paying the bill for its impacts. Attorneys seek to represent a class of American homeowners to recover the losses due to increased insurance premiums, and to require Big Oil to shift that relatively small portion of their massive worth and revenues. Class-action lawsuits seek to level the playing field, bringing strength to collective action to change corrupt practices. Though these measures do not bring immediate relief, they are a time-tested method for holding companies accountable for wrongdoing.
NO COST TO YOU
There is no scenario where any class member will be asked to pay out-of-pocket attorney fees or legal costs. In the event Hagens Berman or any other firm obtains a settlement that provides benefits to class members, the court will decide a reasonable fee to be awarded to the class’s legal team.
