Product Liability Attorney

Judge Barbier's New Ruling

Judge Carl Barbier has issued a landmark ruling recently in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill litigation.  This new ruling states that plaintiffs will be allowed to pursue punitive damages as well as maritime law remedies against BP and the other responsible companies.  BP had been seeking to have the Court throw out thousands of economic loss claims which had been filed in the Federal Court in Louisiana.

This is a major victory for Plaintiffs.  The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 is silent as to whether punitive damages can be claimed under the act.  Judge Barbier ruled that fishermen and those with direct physical property damage can pursue punitive damages.  If you would like to read the Court's ruling in its entirety you can do so here.  The Court also ruled that the case is subject to maritime law, which allows claims of negligence, gross negligence and strict liability for manufacturing or design defects.  We are hopeful that this ruling will put pressure on BP to resolve this litigation.

If you believe you have been damaged from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill please contact us immediately, or call us at 855 646 4355.  We intend to pursue all damages made available by the Court for anyone who suffered loss because of the spill.  We are currently representing claimants in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, as well as the cities of Mobile, Pensacola, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula.