Bummer about the BP trial

I wish Eva Rowe had stuck to her guns and gone to trial in her lawsuit against the petroleum giant BP.  Rowe, 22, had sued BP after its 2005 refinery explosion in Texas City, Texas killed not just one but both of her parents. Rowe's was the last of 15 wrongful death suits against the company stemming from the explosion, and she had refused to settle, saying she wanted the public to see all of BP's dirty laundry. The trial was scheduled to begin next week.

Instead, Rowe settled yesterday when BP agreed to donate as much as $60 million to an array of charities and safety research programs. Seems like a good settlement, so it's hard to really complain, but I was looking forward to watching the trial. The United Steel Workers union had arranged to broadcast it live through a special website that would have also posted key trial documents and other evidence. The case would have provided a rare opportunity for the public to watch a major civil trial in action rather than hear only the dollar amount of the verdict at the end. 

It would be interesting to know if the TV cameras had anything to do with BP's decision to settle the case on terms Rowe could live with...

Comments

[Seth]

I'm less interested in the a trial than the question of confidentiality.

I am glad that all documents will be available to regulators, but I hope that they make public any documents that could be used to ensure the safety of others.