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BP (British Petroleum)


BP Oil Spill Lawsuits

BP (formerly British Petroleum Company) is the third largest energy company, and one of the largest companies in the world.   As the owner of the oil found by the Deepwater Horizon, BP is being sued in conjunction with Transocean, and Halliburton for their collective involvement and accused negligence in the explosion and ensuing oil spill.

More than 5,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the gulf coast each day as a result of the failures of the rig’s drilling equipment.   The most devastating equipment failure, however, is the blowout preventer (BOP)  which has, thus far, failed to shut off the flow of oil.

Lamar McKay, chairman of BP America has recently made several statements that shine a troublesome light on the decisions made  by the company:

  • Regarding Deepwater Horizon oil spill:   McKay said that more preparations for this type of accident weren’t made because it, ” seemed inconceivable” that equipment in place to avert an oil-well blowout would fail;
  • Regarding the possible root cause of the disaster:   McKay is pointing at, ” a failed piece of equipment” ;
  • Regarding the actual scope of the disaster:   McKay stated that he doesn’t know how much oil is flowing from the well that is situated  off the Louisiana coast and that estimates of 5,000 barrels a day are uncertain;
  • Regarding BP’s efforts and plans for sealing off the leaking well:   BP is, ” throwing every resource that we’ve got” but did not comment on further plans underway;
  • Regarding when the well might be closed:   He can’t say exactly, but believes a dome that could help may be deployed in six to eight days.

Futher, in a study presented to the federal Minerals Management Service prior to the start of the drilling operation, the company repeatedly said that it was, ” unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities.”   While the company did admit that a spill would impact environmental areas, it argued that, ” due to the distance to shore and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected.”

In more recent news, the state of Louisiana has recently declared a state of emergency and President Obama has offered the services of the US military to help combat and clean up the oil.

If you have suffered a personal loss or other injury due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the maritime law attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP can help.   Call our maritime law office toll free at 877-398-4972 or contact Arnold & Itkin LLP online.   We will discuss your concerns and provide a candid evaluation of your claim, all as part of a free consultation.