Legal Positioning for BP Oil Spill Begins

As more information regarding the disastrous BP oil spill begins to surface, potential defendants in what is expected to be a massive amount of litigation are already making moves in an attempt to defend themselves and to at least indirectly limit their potential liability. In essence, there are four potential defendants to any BP oil spill lawsuit that’s filed: BP, Halliburton, Transocean Ltd. and Cameron International Corporation. The first tangible move that’s been made with an eye towards a huge number of lawsuits being filed by personal injury attorneysaround the country was made by Transocean last week when it filed a petition to consolidate all legal claims from this disaster into one court to be heard by a single federal judge. Below are some thoughts as to why this move was made.

One BP Oil Spill Lawsuit is Better than Hundreds for the Potential Defendants

One of the factors that goes into corporations’ thinking when they face massive legal liability is the cost of defending themselves. Any company that can pay for one defense action as opposed to hundreds will gladly take that step, as it will limit legal fees, costs and time spent preparing for the defense case. In addition, one large claim will help to limit the time involved with such a mess. Basically, one case will prevent additional individual claims from being filed in different jurisdictions for years as new injuries and damages arise for businesses that have been destroyed in the Gulf of Mexico region.

One BP Oil Spill Lawsuit Could Take the Case Away from a Jury

The petition filed last week is noteworthy for more than one reason, but perhaps the most telling is that it requests that this large singular claim be heard and decided by one federal judge. While this step would clearly place an enormous amount of power and influence on the judge who hears the case, it would also prevent the case from being heard by a jury. This is important because of the obvious anger that’s prevalent among individual citizens who live in the area and whose home regions are being destroyed by this oil spill.

Regardless of the technicalities involved with this burgeoning legal situation, if you or someone you love has been harmed by the BP oil spill, you need to protect both your business and your personal interests as soon as possible. Contact the BP oil spill lawyers at Phillips Law Group as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation.