BP Spill Trial Pushed to February 2013

The U.S. District Judge presiding over a major trial to decide liability for BP Plc’s 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has delayed it until February 25, 2013, due to tourist events that will keep hotels in New Orleans at peak occupancy.

Reuters reports the trial that was to commence on January 14 has already been delayed by a year due to a pending $7.8 billion settlement with private plaintiffs. However, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier pushed the date up because two events held in New Orleans in 2013—the NFL’s Super Bowl on February 3 and the Mardi Gras festival on February 12 —may make it difficult to get a hotel room for those traveling to the trial.

Barbier did not delay a hearing set for November 8 regarding a $7.8 billion settlement that BP had reached with private plaintiffs in March.

An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon in April 2010 led to 11 rig workers being killed and over 4.9 million barrels of oil gushing from the Macondo well into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days.

If you or a loved one has experienced a personal injury, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation and to find out if a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you.

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