The Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee

Multi-District litigations are proposed under a consolidated court represented by the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee. The mission is to have a group of attorney’s to represent claimants from around the country. The Federal Procedural rules have evolved over the years that recognize that it would be too costly and time consuming to manage the claims with individual hearings.
The Jones Act is the defining legislation for Maritime Law. Passed in 1920, the object was to protect people who were injured working on ships. This makes it easier for employees to get a recovery if they were injured on the job. Under the Jones Act, you have to claim a negligent act in order to sue an employer or organization. Since 1920, a number following court occurrences have the groundwork for who is reliable, vessel status, and seamen status in regards to receiving settlements. 2 BP employees have been indicted with manslaughter charges, although many believe more people should be held culpable than the two who were charged. Obviously we are dealing with a much larger scale here. For more information, please research qualifications for legitimate claims and register with the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee.

The Damages and Liabilities

As well as admitting liability and criminal responsibility, the company has agreed to pay more than $4 billion. $525 million in civil charges are brought forth by the SCC. In return, BP will face no further prosecution in US courts. However, BP’s liabilities are likely to go much further. Video cameras were placed on the sea bed to broadcast live images of the oil gusher, while the company struggled to bring it under control. Tens of billions of dollars might still be paid out by BP in civil and private law suites. These civil cases may not be covered by this settlement, but affected by it. By admitting criminal liability, and paying quite a large settlement, it may guarantee their next ten years in the Gulf of Mexico. The body of water is a key region to the oil giant.
We have all seen the damages to lives and businesses in the coastal regions. BP will not likely forfeit their efforts in drilling for oil in the region and will have to obey the orders of the US Justice Department to continue restitution and responsibility to the community. They will respond to “legitimate claims” and fund restoration efforts in the gulf for tens of years to come. Louisiana’s wetlands contribute to nearly 40% of the wetlands in the continental US, prompting enormous environmental concerns for such an immense and ecologically diverse region.
Benjamin Coffman has been writing and blogging about legal and envornmental conerns for many years. He currently writes exclusively for the Law Office of Carolyn Agin Schmidt at www.caslaw.net