NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has refused to reconsider its previous ruling that businesses don't have to prove they were directly harmed by BP's 2010 Gulf Of Mexico oil spill to collect settlement payments.
Monday's decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could be a step toward resuming a claims process that was suspended after a district court ruling in December. BP spokesman Geoff Morrell said in an emailed statement Monday night that the company is considering its legal options.
BP had asked the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to rehear the case after a three-judge panel's March ruling. The court voted 8-5 against a rehearing.
The action preserves a district court ruling that BP had agreed in 2012 to pay claims without requiring proof that losses were directly caused by the spill.