Monday, March 5, 2012

CPRBlog: After Partial Settlement, Oil Spill Case on a Slow Boil




"On balance, the settlement appears to be a good thing. But this plate is just the appetizer. The main course—a pepper pot of federal civil claims and criminal charges—has yet to come. And that’s a dish that could really bust a gut.

Before I get to the federal claims, here’s why I like the settlement. The private claims—brought by shrimpers, restaurant owners, injured responders, the families of fallen rig operators and more—were incredibly diverse in factual elements and dogged by the uncertain standard that controls large punitive awards. That not only made their claims hard to value, but insured that any generous verdict would be sent into the deep-space of federal appeals, delaying for years the compensation that many families and small businesses need now."

'via Blog this'

No comments:

Post a Comment