Some creative Florida Attorneys have filed a lawsuit against 5 major oil companies in the State of Florida. The Attorneys allege in their complaint that the 5 oil companies failure to warn boat owners of the damages ethanol-blended fuel could cause to the engines of their boats. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/21/ethanol-lawsuit-moves-forward-against-oil-companie/
The Attorneys for the Plaintiffs are trying to gain class action status and seek reimbursement from these Oil Companies for damages the gasoline has caused to boat owners across the State of Florida. The State of Florida passed a law in late 2008 which contained a requirement that all gasoline in the State contain 10 percent ethanol.
Although this lawsuit has survived a motion to dismiss by the Oil Companies it will be difficult to prove that the ethanol in the gasoline is the cause of the engine damage to boats across the State. The Plaintiff’s attorneys have an uphill battle in attempting to demonstrate that the Oil Companies were negligent when they failed to warn boat owners of the potential problems.