Rantz: Wrongful death climate change lawsuit is shameful, exploitative political theater

A Washington woman tragically died during the 2021 heat dome. Now, years later, her adult child is blaming oil companies — and suing. It’s not merely a ludicrous lawsuit, but one of the most shameless attempts yet to turn climate change into a courtroom payday and political crusade.

The lawsuit, filed in King County, accuses oil companies of knowingly contributing to the 2021 heat wave that led to 65-year-old Julie Leon’s death. It appears to be the first climate-related wrongful death lawsuit in U.S. history. And it’s completely frivolous.

The complaint is as absurd as it is offensive. The filing blames the heat wave on climate change, fueled by gas and oil companies. That, apparently, caused Leon to die from hyperthermia. It goes on to blame ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, and Shell:

While understating the need for serious collective action on climate change, and in an effort to temper concerns about the risks of their products, Defendants misrepresented their own efforts to manage GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions. Defendants have engaged—and continue to engage—in this deceptive conduct to dupe consumers into believing Defendants’ voluntary actions are sufficient protection against the dangers posed by climate change. These tactics have proven remarkably effective.

What happened to Leon was tragic. But blaming oil companies for that? That’s legally unserious and morally grotesque.

Ridiculous legal logic behind climate change lawsuit

According to the lawsuit, Leon was driving during an intense heat wave — without air conditioning, having not eaten solid food due to a post-operative liquid-only diet following bariatric surgery. Lawyers claim she experienced “heat-related symptoms [that] occurred so rapidly that she decided it was unsafe to continue driving.”

Those symptoms, the lawsuit contends say, caused her to pull over and that she “was so incapacitated by the effects of the heat that she was unable to call for help.” She was there for roughly two hours when a passerby found her slumped over. She was pronounced dead.

Now, Leon’s daughter, through her attorneys, claim climate change via oil production and consumption is to blame for the death.

But if this ridiculous legal logic holds, then shouldn’t we also blame the car manufacturer for her air conditioning failing? Or the city she pulled over in for not having sufficient shade?

Why stop at oil companies? She should sue the state of Washington for helping keep oil companies in business by allowing for the sale of gas and oil. Indeed, the state is a customer, too. Was the car being driven powered by gas and oil? Leon herself, then, was part of the problem.

Disturbing exploitation

The lawsuit doesn’t just seek money — it exploits a woman’s tragic death to forward a political agenda. In other words, it’s not just a civil suit — it’s a climate activism press release disguised as litigation.

We’ve seen this playbook before. And those lawsuits never go to trial because they’re not intended to.

What happened to Julie Leon was a confluence of individual choices, unfortunate circumstances, and yes, an extreme weather event. But to exploit her death for a partisan legal stunt? That’s manipulation.

Money and messaging

Her daughter, who filed the suit, claims this is about accountability. But does anyone seriously believe this case is about healing or closure? Or is it about money and messaging?

Julie Leon deserved better than to become a pawn in a climate lawsuit that will do nothing but generate headlines and billable hours. This case is built not on law or science — but on emotion and political theater. And while the environmental left will cheer it on, the courts should see it for what it is: an exploitative cash grab that cheapens real grief and wastes judicial resources.

It won’t bring Julie Leon back. It won’t stop the next heat wave. But it might land a few headlines — and that, sadly, seems to be the point.

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