The devastating aftermath of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill has once again resurfaced in the legal arena as Danielle Jackson, a resident of Santa Rosa County, Florida, filed a lawsuit against BP Exploration & Production Inc., BP America Production Co., Transocean Holdings LLC, Transocean Deepwater Inc., Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc., and Halliburton Energy Services Inc. The complaint was lodged on November 27, 2024, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. This lawsuit revives the catastrophic events of April 20, 2010, when an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig led to one of the largest environmental disasters in history.
Danielle Jackson's lawsuit claims that her exposure to toxic substances from the spill resulted in severe health issues. The complaint alleges gross negligence and willful misconduct by BP Defendants and negligence by both Transocean and Halliburton. The plaintiff references findings from Judge Barbier’s Phase One Findings in MDL No. 2179, where it was determined that BP acted with gross negligence and willful misconduct while Transocean and Halliburton were found negligent. Fault was apportioned as follows: BP Defendants at 67%, Transocean Defendants at 30%, and Halliburton at 3%. Jackson argues that these companies failed to adequately manage operations on the Macondo Well site and did not implement proper safety measures which could have prevented such a disaster.
The complaint further accuses BP of attempting to downplay the severity of the spill initially estimating a leakage rate far below actual measurements. It cites internal documents revealing that BP knew about higher leak rates but withheld this information from Congress. Moreover, it is alleged that BP manipulated data collection during cleanup efforts to minimize perceived environmental damage and health risks associated with exposure to crude oil and chemical dispersants like Corexit used extensively during response activities.
Jackson seeks compensation exceeding $75,000 for damages related to her exposure which included inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact with hazardous chemicals while working near affected areas in Florida. She claims that neither she nor others were warned about necessary protective measures or advised against entering contaminated zones. Her case underscores ongoing concerns regarding corporate accountability and transparency following industrial accidents impacting public health.
Representing Danielle Jackson are attorneys whose names remain undisclosed within this document; however, presiding over this matter is Judge CJB-DPC under Case ID: 2:24-cv-02850-CJB-DPC.