"A lawsuit filed by about 5,700 Baton Rouge residents against ExxonMobil Corp. over a 1993 fire crawled through federal court for almost 15 years and has finally come to an end -- the residents lost, lawyers said.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 24, in New Orleans, affirmed a District Court judge’s 2008 decision in favor of ExxonMobil.

A lawyer for some of the plaintiffs said it was a little like David versus Goliath and, in this case, Goliath won."

Sandy Davis reports for the Baton Rouge Advocate July 6, 2009. [2]