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Nature of Suit Code: 195
Nature of Suit: Contract Product Liability
Cause of Action: 

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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 12-20474

EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, 

 Plaintiff - Appellee

v.

ELECTRICAL RELIABILITY SERVICES, INC., OLD REPUBLIC 

INSURANCE COMPANY, 

 Defendants - Appellants

Appeals from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. 4:10-CV-2258

Before JOLLY and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.*

E. GRADY JOLLY, Circuit Judge:**

Following oral argument, this action was held in abeyance while the 

Texas Supreme Court considered certified questions from this Court in a 

similar case, In re Deepwater Horizon, No. 13-0670. The Texas Supreme Court 

 

* Judge DeMoss, the third judge on the panel that originally heard this case, retired 

before this decision was issued. Consequently, this decision and opinion is rendered by a 

quorum pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 46(c) and (d). ** Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

September 15, 2015

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 12-20474 Document: 00513194396 Page: 1 Date Filed: 09/15/2015
No. 12-20474

2

has now answered. See In re Deepwater Horizon, Relator, --- S.W. 3d ---, 58

Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 330 (Tex. 2015). Among other things, the Texas Supreme 

Court’s answer provides clarification regarding the court’s previous holding in

Evanston Insurance Co. v. ATOFINA Petrochemicals, Inc., 256 S.W.3d 660 

(Tex. 2008), a case that has been at the center of this dispute. 

When deciding this case, the district court did not have the benefit of the 

Texas Supreme Court’s answer to the certified questions posed in In re 

Deepwater Horizon. Accordingly, we VACATE the district court’s judgment,

and REMAND this case for further consideration in the light of the answer 

given by the Texas Supreme Court.

VACATED, and REMANDED.

 Case: 12-20474 Document: 00513194396 Page: 2 Date Filed: 09/15/2015