MARITIME LAWYER NEWS

Archive for the ‘Florida Maritime News’ Category

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier has received a stack of motions from BP asking him to seal testimony and strike evidence in the upcoming Gulf Oil Spill trial scheduled for February 27, 2012. It appears that  BP’s motions to seal testimony and strike evidence is a key part of their defense strategy.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to rule on BP's motions to seal testimony and strike evidence.

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NEW ORLEANS, La – Researchers want cleanup workers and volunteers of last year’s BP oil spill to participate in a Gulf study that is looking at the long-term health effects of last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill on clean-up workers.

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Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of BP’s $20 billion restitution fund, told Congress on Thursday, Oct 27, that he has has paid out approximately $5.5 billion to more than 213,000 victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that occurred over a year and a half ago.

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A bill has moved on to the full Senate for final consideration that would send 80 percent of oil spill fine money to Gulf Coast states.

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NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) investigating the Deepwater Horizon disaster has issued its final report on the incident and has made it public on Sept 14, 2011. The JIT is composed of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)

Deepwater Horizon Final Report: Joint Investigation Team USCG and BOEMRE

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NEW ORLEANS, La. – U.S. District Court Judge Carl Barbier in a major 39-page ruling dismissed all state law claims, but instead adopted an expansive view of economic damage that could result from the oil spill and said that some plaintiffs may be able to collect punitive damages from the companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

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MIAMI, FL – The U.S. coast Guard unloaded over 7 tons of cocaine in Miami on Tuesday, Aug 2, that was seized from a submarine-like vessel off the coast of Honduras after suspected smugglers were intercepted allegedly transporting the drugs, worth an estimated $180m in mid-July.

Cocaine recovered from a sunken drug sub intercepted in the Caribbean. (US Coast Guard)

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NEW ORLEANS, La. – BP, who was seeking a court order Wednesday, July 20, compelling the White House to turn over emails by a former top adviser to President Barack Obama, has been denied by U.S. Magistrate Sally Shushan.

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NEW ORLEANS, La – Lawyers for victims of the April 20, 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill say that BP is using “coercive tactics” to force the victims to agree to final settlements with its claims fund.

Attorneys representing property owners, businesses and others claiming harm say victims have been forced to sign releases for inadequate payments because they could no longer afford to wait for full compensation. ... Read Full Story

WASHINGTON — Louisiana appears to be the frontrunner in a senate compromise proposal of the plan to distribute Clean Water Act fine money and is likely to get the biggest chunk of remaining money, which is largely reserved for environmental restoration.

Mary Landrieu, D-Senator from Louisiana, announces compromise on oil spill fine legislation.

Negotiations, which have stalled over the past several months on how to distribute billions of dollars in expected oil spill fine revenue largely over a fight among the states in order to get as much money as possible, appears to have reached a conclusion. ... Read Full Story