Court Bars Liability Cap as a Defense for BP in Deepwater Horizon MDL

NEW ORLEANS - U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier has barred BP from raising a statutory liability cap as a defense to any claims in the federal multidistrict litigation, recognizing that BP filed a statement in October waiving any such cap. In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010, MDL No. 2179 (E.D. La.).

Judge Barbier issued his order on Dec. 23 and in the same order denied plaintiffs' related motion for partial summary judgment as moot.

On Oct. 18, BP filed a statement in federal court expressly waiving …