Judge Gives Preliminary OK to $7.8B BP Deal; Government Plaintiffs Will Have to Wait for Trial
Oil spill workers collect tainted debris and
dark oil patches along the beach as oil washes
ashore on June 10, 2010 at Perdido Pass, Ala.
(Cheryl Casey / Shutterstock.com)
A trial to determine BP’s liability for the Gulf oil spill has been pushed back until January, giving the company more time to reach a deal with litigants not covered by a proposed $7.8 billion settlement.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier gave preliminary approval to the settlement with individuals and businesses harmed by the spill earlier this week, the National Law Journal and the New Orleans Times-Picayune report. On Thursday, Barbier set a Jan. 14 trial date for other litigants, including federal and state governments, according to the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) and Reuters.
BP had sought the later trial date.
