On July 8, 2013, BP voiced their complaints to a three-judge panel in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals about the manner in which Patrick Juneau, the claims administrator in their case, is allowing businesses to collect money. The company has repeatedly argued that the terms of their settlement have been misinterpreted by Mr. Juneau, thus allowing unaffected businesses to cash in on the tragic oil rig explosion that plagued the Gulf in 2010. According to current reports, the number of claims that have been filed with the spill compensation fund has risen by 18% over the last six weeks, causing BP to become that much more agitated about the management of their case.
It is for this reason that the company is seeking to stop business economic loss payouts while an independent inquiry is launched. In response to this, however, Judge James Dennis asked BP’s legal representative, Theodore Olsen, why the company thinks that the appellate court has jurisdiction over the interpretation of a settlement that BP had previously signed off on. While Olsen did his best to explain how the company initially interpreted the terms of the settlement—which clearly differed from that of the claims administrator who was assigned to the case—Judge Dennis interrupted to, again, ask the question, “How can we go beyond the four corners of the agreement?”
He went on to explain that “The agreement defines what is a lost profit in a particular way, and you have had the chance to not agree with that – several chances.” For this reason, and many others, the co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs’ steering committee, James Roy, stated after the hearing that he was satisfied with the proceedings. With more than 195,403 claims filed thus far, resulting in an estimated $8.2 billion in compensation for those who were affected by the oil spill, it is safe to say that this is not the last we will hear from BP in objection to the administration of these claims; however, the U.S. appeals judges have given no indication as to when they will rule on this matter.
If you or someone you love has been affected by the BP oil spill, along with the countless others, you should not hesitate to find out if you are eligible for compensation. With the help of a Montgomery personal injury lawyer from Morris, Andrews, Talmadge & Driggers, LLC, you may be able to seek damages for the economic losses that you have suffered. When you contact our firm today at (844) 654-6228, you can tell us about your case for free through a no-cost consultation. If you would prefer to contact us online, you can even submit a complimentary case evaluation form directly from our website.
For more information about this hearing, review the full article by clicking here.
