Exxon Mobil appeals $2.5Bln Valdez oil spill award (above the $3Bln spent on clean up & restoration).
“Exxon gained nothing by what went wrong in this case and paid dearly for it,” said Dellinger, who argued that the company had no malicious intent or improper profit motive.
Before everyone goes ape shit, remember that punitive damages are not intended to compensate the plaintiff. Instead, they are designed to punish the defendant for actions which are willful, wanton, reckless, or undertaken with utter disregard for their potential consequences.
As much as I’d just like to say no I can’t because I don’t know the details.
What policies does Exxon have in place to prevent something like this? A commercial airliner needs a pilot and co-pilot. I know there is only one captain on a large tanker like that, but isn’t there someone else who should be paying attention? Like maybe to the minor fact that they’re out of the shipping channel with a drunk behind the wheel?
So I guess my big question boils down to, “Is it Exxon policy that a single employee should be 100% in charge of a floating environmental disaster?”. And if this is indeed the policy, can you show proof that they did it because it was cheaper than having two certified operators on board knowing full well one could violate policy.