In September, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ruled that BP was grossly negligent in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil giant has filed a request in Louisiana court to have the ruling reviewed.
According to the motion filed by BP, the grossly negligent ruling was based on evidence regarding weaknesses in the Macondo well’s casing that contributed to the blowout, which the judge agreed to exclude during trial.
The motion asks for an amended ruling or to have a new trial granted.
The grossly negligent ruling paves the way for a significant increase in the Clean Water Act penalties and fees that BP can be charged with. Although the oil company had previously agreed to $4 billion in fines and penalties related to the disaster, the September ruling could increase the company’s liability by up to $18 billion.
The offshore injury attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris have helped victims of many major maritime disasters, including the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
