Jury Awards $8 Million in Benzene Case

SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco jury has awarded $8 million to a benzene plaintiff who claimed that his 17-year employment at SeaRiver Maritime Inc. exposed him to benzene and other toxins, ultimately causing his kidney cancer. Shelby v. Seariver Maritime Inc., f/k/a Exxon Shipping Co., No. CJC-06-449350 (Calif. Super. Ct., San Francisco Cty.).

The California Superior Court for San Francisco County jury reached the verdict May 12 after deliberating for one day. Judge Martha Miller presided over the two-week trial.

SeaRiver, formerly known as Exxon Shipping Co., was the lone remaining defendant at the time of the verdict, sources …