Homeowners in Jacksonville, MD Receive SOME Compensation for Loss of House Values Due to Exxon Gas Spill

The verdict is in and the jury has decided in favor of the plaintiffs. The question is, is it enough?

This once quiet, serene, little corner of the world called Jacksonville, MD became the center of a huge lawsuit with Exxon Mobile over a leak for 37 days of over 26,000 gallons of oil. The oil seeped into the ground water, which feeds the surrounding community's wells.

The biggest questions -- Can these homes be sold? Will the MTBE ever leave their wells? Will an average of almost $700,000 cover the concern, possible future issues, and true loss of value of these houses?

I wish I knew the answer and could more effectively help these homeowners. It saddens me that an avoidable mistake on the part of the gas station serviceperson who shut off the alarm instead of seeing that there really was a problem could affect these homeowners for the rest of their lives.