Exxon Seeking New Oil Spill Trial

Exxon Corp. wants a new trial in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case, claiming that some jurors disobeyed the judge’s instructions about discussing the case outside court and may have been coerced into reaching last year’s $5.3 billion verdict.

The oil giant wants a new trial on two questions: whether recklessness by Exxon and tanker captain Joseph Hazelwood caused the spill, and whether punitive damages were warranted, spokesman Tom Cirigliano said Saturday. The papers were filed on Wednesday.

The federal jury ordered Exxon to pay $5 billion in punitive damages to commercial fishermen, Alaskan natives, property owners and others harmed by the 1989 spill.

Exxon is not contesting a separate $287 million verdict meant to compensate fishermen for actual losses from the 11-million-gallon spill in Prince William Sound.