More than 4 years have passed since Hurricane Katrina hit the south, and lots of residents still endure today. One group of Mississippi victims aims to get compensated by the folks they believe are accountable for all that property damage–multinational corporations. News-wire service Agence-France Presse (AFP) lately spied documents indicating that southern Mississippi residents are attempting to litigate a group of greenhouse gas-emitting corporations through a class-action lawsuit. The group argues that main emitters like Shell and Chevron are to blame for fueling global warming and spurring Katrina.

The lawsuit, which was initially filed back in 2005, was initially squashed by a district court. But this fall, 3 federal appeals court judges agreed that the case might be heard. Previous month, the same court decided to re-examine the case, this time with 9 judges present. These judges will set a hearing date in the next 3 months and plan to make a decision about whether the case can progress by the end of the year.

Residents seek reimbursement from Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Honeywell, American Electric Power and other major corporations. The plaintiffs claim these companies had a liability to keep away from endangering environmental and human health, in addition to personal and public property.

Greenhouse gas emitters like Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron surely need somebody to keep them in check. But, with no laws on the books limiting these corporations’ emissions, it seems unlikely that a judge would rule in support of the plaintiffs. Still, a landmark case like this draws attention to climate change’s role in creating fiercer, more unpredictable storms. Possibly sparking a dialogue will make a bigger push for much-needed climate legislation that will maintain multinationals’ emissions in check.