Gulf Coast Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Explosion & Oil Spill
On April 20th, 2010 an oil rig owned by Transocean, and leased by BP, suffered what appears to be a blowout. The blowout preventer (BOP), a mandatory safety device, did not function and failed to prevent the devastating explosion that eventually caused Deepwater Horizon to sink. Eleven seamen lost their lives in the explosion and hundreds more suffered physical and emotional trauma. Despite public commitments to care for their workers, clean-up the oil spill and protect our environment, both BP and Transocean are making legal moves to limit their obligations.
Those Affected
Although this was considered the worst environmental disaster the United States has ever seen, the damages affected more than just the environment. Thousands of people in various industries along the Gulf suffered financially. One major group affected was the commercial fishing industry. Marine life suffered significant loss, leaving fish in the Gulf even today with traces of contamination. In fact, the seafood industry as a whole suffered a huge blow as a result. Oyster farmers were affected by the oil slick as were commercial shrimpers. Even now, many people have a hard time trusting seafood that comes from the Gulf Coast. A last major group affected by the spill were those in the Florida vacationing business. Despite efforts to advertise that Florida beaches were unaffected by the spill, the hotel and tourism industry suffered significantly.
The negligent consequences of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill will cost billions and have left many individuals with legitimate legal claims, including people such as the following:
- Injured maritime workers
- Injured response & rescue personnel
- Family members of injury victims
- Commercial fishermen, shrimpers, oyster farmers
- Anyone with financial damages from the oil spill
Many maritime workers suffered substantial injuries as a result of the explosion. Those who worked on the Deepwater Horizon and in surrounding fields suffered significant injury. The explosion caused extreme heat to emanate from the blast, causing many to sustain burn injuries as well as hearing loss. The initial explosion even killed 11 maritime workers. Many were left suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Involved Parties
The chief offender was undoubtedly British Petroleum.
BP was blamed for making a series of bad decisions which led up to the spill. They were found guilty of not just one negligent action, but a series of negligent decisions that led to the biggest environmental disaster the United States has ever seen. Many claims were also filed against Cameron International Corporation which was the company responsible for preventing blowout. BP themselves filed claims against Cameron as well as Transocean and Halliburton. Transocean was the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig and Halliburton was the company employed to do the cementing at the Macondo well. These claims were made on the basis of irresponsible patterns of behavior that led to failed safety at the drill site.
Below you will find a list of all the parties involved in the BP oil spill of 2010:
- BP (British Petroleum)
- Cameron International Group
- Halliburton
- Minerals Management Services (MMS)
- Shuman Consulting
Possible Incident Causes
There wasn't a finger left that wasn't pointing at someone else after the Deepwater Horizon exploded. The main culprit was undoubtedly BP, but BP also cited three major causes that likely contributed to the explosion and ensuing spill. The first possible cause was the failure of the blowout preventer system. These types of systems are typically in place to stop the flow of oil in the event of an accident. Obviously, the blowout preventer did not function as it should have in this case. Halliburton, the company responsible for the cementing, was also blamed for partial fault in the spill. The sealing process may have left weak points which may have caused the failure. Cementing flaws are commonly the cause of oil well blowouts. One of the last major possible causes of the blowout is said to have been methane pockets which may have been the natural cause.
Get the Help That You Need. Call (888) 493-1629 for a Free Consultation!
The maritime attorneys of Arnold & Itkin are working hand-in-hand with numerous safety organizations, community leaders, the media, and other law firms throughout the Gulf Coast to provide a comprehensive legal response for all individuals negatively affected by the actions of the negligent parties. Our law firm has secured billions of dollars in compensation for our clients!
Call our maritime law firm with your questions to determine if you have a claim: (888) 498-8212.