5th Circuit: Oil Spill MDL Judge Should Review Firm Owners’ Denied Claims

Mealey's (December 10, 2015, 9:47 AM EST) -- NEW ORLEANS — A Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel on Dec. 9 ordered the federal judge in Louisiana overseeing litigation stemming from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to review a claims administration appeals panel’s decisions denying individual economic loss (IEL) claims submitted by the co-owners of an architecture firm, holding that the panel has not been consistent in finding that individuals submitting IEL claims cannot also recover on business economic loss (BEL) claims (In re Deepwater Horizon: Lake Eugene Land & Development, Inc. v. BP Exploration & Production Inc.,et al. v. Kevin S. Smith, et al., No. 14-31402, In re Deepwater Horizon: Lake Eugene Land & Development, Inc. v. BP Exploration & Production Inc., et al. v. John C. Kelly, No. 15-30023, 5th Cir.)....