Ashland, Ky.-A jury here in July returned a $1.25 million verdict against E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. to six plaintiffs for injuries they sustained as a result of DuPont’s Oct. 11, 2004, sulfuric acid release from its Wurtland plant. There are still 173 other plaintiffs with cases to be tried. The plaintiffs were awarded $130,000 in compensatory damages, but the jury found that DuPont was grossly negligent and added punitive damages ten times compensatory damages. Damage claims were for skin burns, eye irritation, and immediate and ongoing respiratory and eye problems. Inquiries to DuPont had not been returned at press time; however, reports are it plans to appeal, although plantiffs’ counsel says the court ruling is that it cannot appeal until all 179 plantiffs’ claims have been resolved.
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