{"id":398937,"date":"2025-08-30T12:33:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T11:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=398937"},"modified":"2026-01-02T03:04:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T02:04:52","slug":"killer-climate-lawsuit-on-shaky-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=398937","title":{"rendered":"Killer Climate Lawsuit on Shaky\u00a0Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Science Matters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Ron Clutz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Washington Free Beacon reports on shaky case to make climate change a killer First-Of-Its-Kind Lawsuit Blaming Oil Companies for Woman\u2019s Heat-Wave Death Failed to Mention Her Heart Disease<\/strong><\/a>. Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The diagnosis and likely treatment for it is highly relevant,\u2019
doctor tells Free Beacon<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A first-of-its-kind lawsuit<\/strong> accusing<\/strong> some of the nation\u2019s largest oil companies of causing global warming<\/strong> and<\/strong> therefore causing a Washington woman\u2019s 2021 heat-wave death<\/strong> left out one critical detail: she had been diagnosed with heart disease.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juliana Leon\u2019s death certificate<\/a>, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, shows she had been diagnosed with hypertensive cardiovascular disease<\/a>,<\/strong> a condition that stems from unmanaged high blood pressure and increases the risks of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. The medical examiner<\/strong> for King County, Wash., determined that the condition contributed to her death<\/strong>, meaning it wasn\u2019t the direct cause of death, but made her more vulnerable to it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The wrongful death lawsuit Leon\u2019s daughter filed<\/strong> earlier this year against oil companies, however, failed to<\/strong> make a single mention<\/strong> of her underlying condition<\/strong>. It instead focused<\/strong> entirely on the direct cause of death: hyperthermia.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The revelation, which has not been reported until now, is relevant because it could explain why Leon succumbed to the high temperatures<\/strong> that hit the Pacific Northwest in June 2021, according to doctors interviewed by the Free Beacon. And it is important too because of the lawsuit\u2019s potentially wide-reaching impact.<\/a> If successful, the lawsuit could lead to dozens of similar wrongful death suits<\/strong> and even future criminal homicide prosecutions against the oil industry.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit\u2014the first instance of a case attempting to put oil companies on the hook for heat-related wrongful death\u2014is part of a coordinated effort nationwide to use the courts to cripple the oil industry<\/strong> and usher in a green energy transition. Activists say such litigation will hold the industry accountable, while critics say it is designed to bankrupt the industry<\/strong>, something that would have devastating economic impacts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"An<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThe main reasons for hyperthermia under these conditions include medications or skin conditions impairing the ability to sweat.<\/strong> People with hypertensive cardiovascular disease are likely to be taking such medicines,\u201d said Jane Orient, the executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and a clinical lecturer at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the diagnosis and likely treatment for it are highly relevant,\u201d she continued. \u201cA body temperature as high as 110 is extremely unlikely without impairment in the body\u2019s temperature-regulating mechanism, at least under the circumstances here. Most people will have dehydration, but not heat stroke, during a heat wave. This lady likely had both.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffrey Singer, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and the founder of a private surgical practice in Arizona, agreed that the diagnosis could be relevant.  Singer told the Free Beacon:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cHaving hypertension and its cardiovascular stigmata, depending on severity, might affect a person\u2019s risk of succumbing to hyperthermia. But it\u2019s the hyperthermia that kills,\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lawyers representing Leon\u2019s estate and daughter did not respond to requests for comment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leon died on June 28, 2021, during an extreme heat wave, which ultimately claimed the lives of 100 people in Washington<\/strong>, state data show<\/a>. According to the wrongful death lawsuit, Leon died in her car after the vehicle\u2019s air conditioning system broke<\/strong> and as outside temperature exceeded 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Her internal temperature rose to 110 degrees Fahrenheit right before she died.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two weeks earlier, Leon had undergone bariatric surgery,<\/strong> a weight-loss surgery that helps reduce the risk<\/a> of heart disease and high blood pressure. As a result, she had been on a liquid diet<\/strong> in the two weeks leading up to her death. In fact, Leon died in her car on her drive home from the doctor\u2019s office where she was informed that morning that she may begin to eat soft foods again.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the lawsuit blames seven oil companies for her death,<\/strong> arguing that they knew their products caused global warming decades ago, but continued selling them anyway. The lawsuit states that the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest wouldn\u2019t have occurred without human-caused global warming.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A study published<\/a> in the American Meteorological Society\u2019s journal<\/strong> Weather and Forecasting last year found that there is \u201clittle evidence\u201d greenhouse gases amplified the heat wave<\/strong> and emphasized that weather forecasts for the event were \u201chighly accurate.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cGlobal warming may have made a small contribution, but an extreme heat wave, driven by natural variability, would have occurred in any case,\u201d it concluded.  Singer told the Free Beacon:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need climate change to have a heat wave. Humans have been experiencing heat spells since the beginning of recorded history,\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Free Beacon reported<\/a> last week that an environmental group funded by<\/strong> the powerful Rockefeller Family Fund<\/strong> is quietly steering the wrongful death suit.<\/strong> According to legal filings, Leon\u2019s daughter quietly appointed a climate activist to serve as the agent for her deceased mother\u2019s estate. Those documents were authored by lawyers at the Rockefeller-backed Center for Climate Integrity,<\/strong> a nonprofit leading<\/strong> the coordinated, nationwide plan to \u201cdrive divestment\u201d from and \u201cdelegitimize\u201d the oil industry through litigation.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Graphic<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A first-of-its-kind lawsuit\u00a0accusing\u00a0some of the nation\u2019s largest\u00a0oil companies of causing global warming\u00a0and\u00a0therefore\u00a0causing a Washington woman\u2019s 2021 heat-wave death\u00a0left out one\u00a0critical detail: she had been diagnosed with heart disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":398949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818056,691820398,691819743,691818087,691819375,691818832,691837631,691822696,691823264],"class_list":{"0":"post-398937","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-climate-change","9":"tag-climate-lawsuit","10":"tag-climate-propaganda","11":"tag-global-warming","12":"tag-green-energy-transition","13":"tag-heat-wave","14":"tag-heat-wave-death","15":"tag-oil-industry","16":"tag-washington-free-beacon","18":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQNKxyJATvkoAc7XQM3o-ZEo8fy98lNolpiFN6B4I8IiiHljOz1xONHrQ1wsOfkTByXfcHGR8U00sn0Tt3LpUevM4gKCnnIvqh1adxg2uQBRqdQeuvuBZ2IaIXnb6rUtrnsCb3HW1xbuj_FhtFWXPoxlII8d-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1FMt","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":384348,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=384348","url_meta":{"origin":398937,"position":0},"title":"Oil Companies Sued Over Death of Woman during 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Wave","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"23\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A review of the marketing of \u201cheat domes\u201d, the history of American heat waves, and the real statistics behind temperature-related deaths.","rel":"","context":"In \"American heat waves\"","block_context":{"text":"American heat waves","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=american-heat-waves"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-23-084140.png?fit=1041%2C866&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-23-084140.png?fit=1041%2C866&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-23-084140.png?fit=1041%2C866&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Screenshot-2025-06-23-084140.png?fit=1041%2C866&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":383248,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=383248","url_meta":{"origin":398937,"position":1},"title":"Wacky New Climate Lawsuit: Wrongful Death from Heat\u00a0Wave","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"14\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Climate activists employing tort law firms\u00a0have lost one lawsuit after another in their\u00a0misguided crusade to bankrupt energy companies\u00a0by blaming them for the effects of climate change. This isn\u2019t about justice, for victims deserving or otherwise, but instead a nakedly unscrupulous effort\u00a0to achieve progressive policy ends by ulterior means.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-29.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-29.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-29.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIG-29.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":235524,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=235524","url_meta":{"origin":398937,"position":2},"title":"Puerto Rico Greens Launch a RICO Lawsuit Against Big Oil","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/12\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Big oil is accused of conspiring to deceive the public into thinking the current warming might not have been caused by Anthropogenic\u00a0CO2.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/0GISP-2-Warm-Periods.webp?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/0GISP-2-Warm-Periods.webp?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/0GISP-2-Warm-Periods.webp?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/0GISP-2-Warm-Periods.webp?fit=800%2C400&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":381095,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=381095","url_meta":{"origin":398937,"position":3},"title":"Climate Attribution Lawfare Hits New Low with 2021 Heat Wave Lawsuit","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"In yet another theatrical act of lawfare against the fossil fuel industry, Misti Leon has launched a wrongful death lawsuit against seven oil and gas companies, alleging they were responsible for the tragic passing of her mother, Juliana Leon, during the 2021 Pacific Northwest heatwave. 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