Here’s a stunning example of a frivolous lawsuit that the New York Times decided to only partially cover. A woman is suing seven oil and gas companies for her mother’s death, because of climate change or something.
Breaking News: A woman sued oil and gas companies over her mother’s death in a heat wave. It’s the first wrongful death case targeting fossil fuel companies over their role in global warming, experts said. https://t.co/A56OBAQpiH
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 29, 2025
It’s probably going to be the first case thrown out of court.
This is a frivolous lawsuit.
— Billy The Unheard (@Nomadhidinghere) May 29, 2025
It’s a frivolous story, and it’s embarrassing that the New York Times published it.
This is someone trying to take advantage of a tragedy to enrich herself. This frivolous and harassing case ought to be thrown out and the other party allowed to sue her for legal fees.
— Obi_1_D_AllKnowing (@obiopiah) May 30, 2025
And it’s complete, total and utter BS.
— Anita Kahrs (@KahrsAnita) May 29, 2025
The Daily Wire notes that the Times left out some details about the woman who supposedly died in a heat wave caused by global warming, caused by fossil fuel companies.
NY Times Covers Crazy Climate Change Lawsuit Targeting Oil Companies, But Leaves Out Key Evidencehttps://t.co/CRZNcifmYj
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) May 30, 2025
Hank Berrien reports:
The lawsuit brought by Misti Leon after the death of her mother, Juliana Leon, accuses oil companies of causing Juliana’s death in 2021 because of their contribution to climate change. Juliana, 65, died in her car on June 28, 2021, from hyperthermia. The lawsuit names Exxon, British Petroleum, Chevron, Shell, Conoco, and Phillips 66 oil companies, as well as the Olympic Pipe Company, because of their contribution to climate change.
…
Yet the Times never mentions some salient points regarding Leon’s death, even though they’re included in the lawsuit.
One: Two weeks before her death, doctors performed bariatric surgery on her; she had been on a liquid diet ever since. Two: The day of her death, she was returning from a doctor’s appointment where they told her she could resume eating solid foods. The Times never mentions that the car’s air conditioning broke, prompting Leon to roll down the windows and pull over to the side of the road. Three: Weather forecasts said the heat would be intense that day.
That seems relevant to the story.
Bias in reporting exists not only in what is included in a story, but also in what is left out.
The New York Times leaving out key details like this is journalistic malpractice. https://t.co/U921ennXLJ
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) May 31, 2025
A 65-year-old woman with questionable health has bariatric surgery.
She’s stuck on an all-liquid diet for weeks.
She then drives 100 miles to a medical follow-up in the middle of a heat wave in a car with broken air conditioning.
She passes out and dies on her drive home.
— AG (@AGHamilton29) May 30, 2025
The post continues:
… does her daughter blame for the death, and file a lawsuit against with the help of certain activists?
Oil companies.
Under the lawsuit theory, those companies caused a heatwave and thus caused her death. makes perfect sense.
There have been a bunch of crazy lawsuits from activists in blue states trying to hold energy companies responsible for climate change, but blaming them for a woman dying because she got overheated in a car with broken air conditioning is really something…. pic.twitter.com/Z7hslwHICA
— AG (@AGHamilton29) May 30, 2025
Hard to imagine why nobody trusts @nytimes
— 2MadLibs (@2_libs) May 31, 2025
There should be a term for a lawyer who brings an obviously flawed grief case instead of having the hard conversation of No.
— mitrebox (@mitrebox) May 30, 2025
Thing is that in this case it’s very likely that the lawyers helped recruit the plaintiff. The term should be disbarred.
— AG (@AGHamilton29) May 30, 2025
Couldn’t be bothered to drive her 65 year old mother to a surgical follow-up appointment, but can file a worthless lawsuit hoping for a payday…
— TweetyBurg (@nivratsmom) May 30, 2025
You would think it would be summarily dismissed. But who knows. People like this and law firms who bring these suits need to suffer consequences. Plaintiffs should have to pay all legal fees and law firms need to suffer suspensions.
— Peter L. D. (@PeterDeGiglio) May 30, 2025
We live in the dumbest time in all of human history. Never have people done less with more.
— Professor Sayi, the View From Here. (@ProfessorSayi) May 30, 2025
It won’t happen, but what if she won and sued all of the gas companies out of existence in Washington State? Her mother was complicit in driving a gasoline-powered car 100 miles each way.
***