The federal district court for the District of Puerto Rico dismissed the Municipality of San Juan’s claims asserting that fossil fuel industry defendants concealed the relationship between their products and “catastrophic weather phenomena” such as the 2017 hurricanes that caused substantial damage to San Juan. The court rejected San Juan’s efforts to distinguish its case from the <a href="https://www.climatecasechart.com/collections/municipality-of-bayamon-v-exxon-mobil-corp_a564">case</a> brought by other Puerto Rico municipalities, which a sister court in the District of Puerto Rico dismissed on September 11, 2025. The court said that San Juan’s contention that the decision in the other case relied on the absence of further proof that could be obtained in discovery was contradicted by San Juan’s arguments opposing further discovery in its objections to a magistrate judge’s July 2025 report and recommendations. The district court also found that San Juan raised no new arguments to counter the court’s conclusion in the other case that Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, antitrust, and Puerto Rico law claims should be dismissed on statute of limitations grounds against the defendants over whom the court had jurisdiction.

Lawsuit brought by the Municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico seeking to hold fossil fuel companies liable for losses resulting from storms during the 2017 hurricane season and ongoing losses from climate change.

Municipality of San Juan v. Exxon Mobil Corp.

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Puerto Rico Federal Court Dismissed San Juan’s Climate Claims Against Fossil Fuel Companies

Filed

United States of America

Puerto Rico

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Puerto Rico Federal Court Dismissed San Juan’s Climate Claims Against Fossil Fuel Companies

Risk

Fossil fuel

Economic sector

Finance