Barbier
Noting an increasing number of pro se complaints filed in the BP oil spill multidistrict litigation (MDL), U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier has instructed liaison counsel to establish a way to inform claimants about proceedings.
Barbier said that an increasing number of people are filing suits against BP and other Gulf of Mexico oil spill defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana without the aid of a lawyer.
People are filing suits directly and mailing complaints in, Barbier said. He hopes to establish a way to contact pro se litigants so that they don't flood his chambers with phone calls seeking confirmation of their filings.
There is an April 20 deadline for anyone seeking to file a claim against BP or other oil spill defendants in the MDL.
Plaintiff attorney Steve Herman said that the Plaintiff Steering Committee is currently working on mechanisms to keep pro se litigants informed on the court's proceedings.
Federal MDL 2:10-md-2179