Citing a law typically used against fishers and hunters who exceed legal limits, Plaquemines Parish District Attorney Charles Ballay has sued British Petroleum and its subsidiaries in state court for damages caused by the Deepwater Horizion oil spill to the parish's wildlife.
Ballay's suit, which was filed in 25th Judicial Court on Tuesday, joins a growing number of lawsuits filed against the oil company for damages the leak has caused to local businesses and parishes. In a press release distributed Thursday, Ballay said that Louisiana hunters and fishers are punished whenever they illegally kill or damage the state's wetlands, and BP should be held to the same standard.
"It is only fair that this statute and penalty be used against BP and other responsible parties for this catastrophic loss since it is used on individuals on a regular basis for doing damage to our wildlife, such as when someone catches over the limit of redfish or trout," Ballay said in the news release. "A major corporation that does the damage that we have incurred should certainly be held accountable."
Louisiana law allows BP to be cited for all wildlife killed and the company would then have to pay a civil penalty for each animal, Ballay said. The lawsuit says that dead fish, birds and other wildlife have been washing ashore in Plaquemines Parish.
This article was written by Allen Powell II of The Times Picayune
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/plaquemines_parish_sues_bp_ove.html
If you or someone you love is dealing with the effects of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, contact us at Murphy Law Firm to learn more about your rights to compensation. Schedule a free initial consultation with an attorney by calling us at 225-928-8800 or toll free at 800-734-6545. We work on a contingency basis, which means we do not receive any attorney fees unless we recover damages for you.
Posts
