BP settles its criminal case.

[john in la]

BP pled guilty to 11 counts of manslaughter and other charges yesterday to settle its criminal case the government brought against the company.
They are ordered to pay over 4 billion in fines bringing their total cost to date for the Deepwater Horizon rig to over 40 billion.
They still have the civil cases pending.

BP also hung 3 of its workers out to dry to rid the company of the case.
Read the attached story.
BP Criminal Plea

 

[Bendee]

Compare that outcome with the Exxon Valdez case.
 

[WGWKy2]

and gas prices go up...
 

[cannonball]

How many human lives were lost in the Exxon Valdez case.
 

[NEKS]

For the goverment there is dollars in the BP oil spill thing. There is none in the Benghazi killings. So lets worry about the oil spill.
 

[MoMike]

Question. What is your solution, fine them they pass the cost on, make them pay for the clean-up they pass the cost on, let tem go scot-free there is no incentive to do it right. I have to have insurance so that if I cause an accident and somebody is hurt my butt is covered. I feel the mid-level guys that are going to jail are being scapegoats, because they probably were being pressured by the higher-ups to maximize profits in order to keep their jobs. My opinion only, yours probably will differ.
 

[john in la]

MoMike
I totally agree with you. There is no simple answer to the fines and you should hear some of the maneuvering that is being done by our local government to make sure they get a big chunk of the pie.

I also think they are going to uncharted ground by charging the 3 workers.
A Boss will have a hard choice to make if these charges stick. Do I do as the company orders even though I know it is not safe or do I shut this operation down and risk loosing my job.

What we really need to remember is 11 lives were lost because a company wanted to maximize profits.
 

[Traditional Farmer]

Great news for those that like high gas prices,almost as stupid as the people in the Northeast that are suing their power company.Guess where the company will get the $$$
to pay off any judgements plus lawyers fees?
 

[RodinNS]

It may be uncharted water in the US... but that type of law exists here. It's commonly known as the Westray act... after the Westray coal mine disaster that killed 26 men. That has generally been considered the standard in Canada for gross negligence by management in pursuit of profit. They were charged at the time and the charges stayed because there was no reasonable expectation of conviction because of the way the laws were written at the time...

Rod