In addition to the insight of the BP Oil Spill from the perspective of the company itself, there are also the legal perspectives of this incident. BP received multiple lawsuits that were filed over the oil spill.
- Lost business profits and individual income losses. Thousands of businesses and workers in the Gulf region have filed lawsuits against BP, seeking repayment for profits and income that were lost because of the oil spill. Some of these plaintiffs include companies and employees in the commercial fishing, shrimp, and oyster industry, and businesses in popular resort areas (David Goguen, 2014).
- Environmental and Property damage. A number of lawsuits have also been filed over the environmental damage inflicted by the spill -- including damage to coastline, wetlands, wildlife, and other harm to the ecosystem in the Gulf region (David Goguen, 2014). The BP oil spill also has damaged commercial, residential, and undeveloped property along the Gulf coastline, as well as a number of small islands offshore. Some property damage suits involve the use of dispersants to aid in the cleanup of the spill. Property damage cases may be handled by filing a claim through the $20 billion compensation fund set up by BP (David Goguen, 2014). The Justice Department is currently weighing its options for filing civil and criminal lawsuits against BP and other companies responsible for the spill, including actions for violations of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (David Goguen, 2014).
- Health problems and health risks from oil and chemical dispersants. Residents in the Gulf region have filed lawsuits over the health problems and health risks caused by the presence of oil on or near coastal property and the dangers posed by the potentially toxic chemicals that have been used to disperse the spilled oil. A number of people who went to work cleaning up and burning off oil in the Gulf in the months after the spill have filed claims linked to the cleanup including headaches, nausea, and throat irritation. Some families of the 11 workers killed in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon have filed wrongful death lawsuits against BP and Transocean (David Goguen, 2014). Those companies have also been sued for negligence by the surviving drill rig workers who suffered injury that day.
References
Goguen, David, J.D. "BP Oil Spill Lawsuits and Legal Issues." Nolo.com. NOLO, Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/bp-oil-spill-lawsuits-legal-33442.html.
