Los Angeles residents may be interested to learn about the thousands of lawsuits that are being filed against BP Plc, the London-based multinational oil and gas company. The 48,000 lawsuits are the result of a 2010 incident in which the company allegedly vented over 500,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into the air. Neighbors who live around the oil refinery in Houston, Texas are claiming that negligence on the part of BP resulted in the poisoning of an entire community.
The barrage of lawsuits against BP began with four plaintiffs who are seeking $200,000 each. An additional $10 billion will also be sought for punitive damages. According to court papers, the compensation for punitive damages will be donated to charity. While facing claims for this incident, BP will also have to deal with thousands of lawsuits that have resulted from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
With a long history of workplace negligence allegations, BP is no stranger to multi-billion-dollar lawsuits. In 2005, over 3,000 injured workers and their family members sued BP after an explosion at a work site. The accident resulted in a settlement of $2.1 billion. In 2007, a gas leak resulted in a court ordering BP to pay $100 million in damages to 10 plaintiffs.
In addition to receiving compensation for their injuries, many workers and others who have been subject to toxic exposure are interested in holding negligent companies accountable for their actions. An attorney with experience in handling personal injury and similar claims may be able to provide advise and counsel to an affected person as to the various alternatives that may be available to pursue appropriate redress.
Source: Bloomberg, “BP Texas Refinery Neighbors Seek Billions at Toxin Trial“, Laurel Brubaker Calkins & Margaret Cronin Fisk , September 09, 2013
