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BP settles to head off blast trial date



By Upstream staff 

UK supermajor BP has settled lawsuits brought by two workers injured in the deadly March 2005 blast at its giant Texas City refinery, heading off a trial due to start next week.

Terms of the accord, announced today, were not disclosed. Jury selection for the trial was due to begin in Galveston, Texas, on Monday, Bloomberg reported.

BP has set aside $1.6 billion to settle damages claims from the incident, which killed 15 workers and injured 170 others. However, lawyers said the company might face punitive damages worth many billions of dollars if the lawsuits went before a jury.

Following the settlements, the Texas Supreme Court, stayed its order that BP chief executive John Brown provide sworn testimony in the case. Browne had been due to tape a deposition with US lawyer Brett Coon in London today.

However, Coon, representing workers injured in the explosion, said Browne's deposition would still go ahead as "several hundred" lawsuits remained unsettled.

BP faces at least 1700 lawsuits. It has already settled more than 1250.


Friday, 23 February, 2007, 18:52 GMT  | last updated: Saturday, 24 February, 2007, 00:41 GMT

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