Deepwater Horizon Update: Judge keeps November fairness hearing date

In a hearing on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, Judge Carl Barbier announced that he will not delay the Nov. 8 fairness hearing on the proposed settlement between BP and private plaintiffs' attorneys over economic damages from the oil spill. "There is clearly sufficient - more than sufficient - transparency in this settlement," Barbier said, as quoted in an article on The Huffington Post.

Judge Barbier did, however, postpone the trial designed to identify the causes of the Deepwater Horizon and assign percentages of fault to the companies involved in the drilling project. The trial was originally set for Jan. 14 and was moved to Feb. 25 so it won't conflict with Mardi Gras festivities or the NFL's Super Bowl.

Also according to The Huffington Post, Barbier said at the hearing that "claimants have been paid or received offers worth a total of roughly $1.1 billion since a court-supervised process replaced the Gulf Coast Claims Facility."

"It's been pretty remarkable, in my opinion, how this has worked," Barbier said.

Motley Rice co-founder Joe Rice has been active on the negotiating team of MDL 2179 (In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010) since 2010 and is a member of the PSC. Motley Rice members John Baden and Fred Baker were also central to the settlement process. Member Kevin Dean began working with injured parties in April 2010 and served on the GCCF Jurisdiction & Court Oversight Workgroup.

If you have been hurt economically, had property damage, or suffered a physical injury as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and would like to consult with a lawyer regarding your rights, please contact Motley Rice lawyer John Baden or Kevin Dean by email or call 1.800.216.9170 .