BP Settles With Six Blast Victims
HOUSTON -- As the lawsuit over the 2005 BP plant explosion in Texas City that killed 15 and left more than 170 injured entered its eighth week, six plaintiffs settled their claims Monday while four will continue their fight in court.
"We're pleased to have settled the claims of these six men," BP spokesperson Daren Beaudo told the International Herald Tribune. According to David Salyer, BP's main lawyer handling settlements, the amounts of the latest settlements were not disclosed.
To date, there are 19 pending claims out of 4,000 filed since the explosion.
As BP prepares to present its defense for the first time since 2005, settlement talks are still ongoing. If the case continues, it could be the first to produce a verdict related to the blast. Last year, the only other two cases to be presented to a jury ended with settlements before plaintiffs finished presenting evidence, reported the International Herald Tribune.
Salyer told the paper that settlements are paid from a $2.1 billion fund BP earmarked to resolve blast-related litigation.
"We're pleased to have settled the claims of these six men," BP spokesperson Daren Beaudo told the International Herald Tribune. According to David Salyer, BP's main lawyer handling settlements, the amounts of the latest settlements were not disclosed.
To date, there are 19 pending claims out of 4,000 filed since the explosion.
As BP prepares to present its defense for the first time since 2005, settlement talks are still ongoing. If the case continues, it could be the first to produce a verdict related to the blast. Last year, the only other two cases to be presented to a jury ended with settlements before plaintiffs finished presenting evidence, reported the International Herald Tribune.
Salyer told the paper that settlements are paid from a $2.1 billion fund BP earmarked to resolve blast-related litigation.