When a disaster such as an oil spill takes place, its effects can reach hundreds of victims in similar capacities. The Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill was the result of continual negligence on the part of large corporate role players, which led to the devastation of lives throughout the coastal communities. As a result, legal claims for damages, injuries, and economic losses were consolidated into mass torts, or class action lawsuits, so victims would have a streamlined process to recover the compensation they deserved.
A class action lawsuit is utilized when a large number of people are injured in similar capacities by the same defendant or group of defendants. As individual lawsuits from each victim would not only clog the legal systems but also create a risk of administrative disaster, their claims are consolidated into one class and taken to court for one overarching trial. When it comes to an environmental disaster such as a large scale oil spill, damages can be separated into two main categories: physical injury and economic losses.
As such, class action lawsuits for oil spills fall into two similar categories:
Medical Benefits
Those seeking compensation for medical expenses and losses concerning injuries
sustained by the accident.
Property Damage
Those seeking compensation for property damage sustained by the explosion
and resulting oil spill.
In the event of a large scale oil spill which calls for class action lawsuits, the court will hear the separate cases as multi-district litigation. Specifically concerning the BP Deepwater Horizon, the courts approved two separate settlements that effectively sought to cover the economic losses, property damage, and physical injuries.
The offshore legal team at Arnold & Itkin LLP played a significant role in the lives of almost a third of the Deepwater Horizon crew victimized in the incident. As a result, our attorneys have practical knowledge and proved experience when handling individual and consolidated legal claims concerning oil spills.
If you wish to learn more about oil spill class action lawsuits or whether you situation qualifies you for a claim, contact Arnold & Itkin LLP today for a 100% free and confidential evaluation.
Arnold & Itkin represented nearly a third of the crewmembers injured in the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
Because maritime law is so complex and so complicated, it is crucial that you work with an attorney who has an in-depth understanding of how it works and who has proven themselves in similar cases before.
