"NEW ORLEANS -- Billions of dollars will be at stake Monday at the opening of a complex trial to determine how much BP should pay for the devastating 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill."

"The British energy giant has already resolved thousands of lawsuits linked to the deadly disaster out of court, including a record $4.5 billion plea deal with the US government in which BP pleaded guilty to criminal charges and a $7.8 billion settlement with people and businesses affected by the spill.

US prosecutors are determined to prove that gross negligence caused the April 20, 2010 blast that killed 11 workers and sank the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig, sending millions of barrels of oil gushing into the sea."

Heather Miller reports for AFP February 25, 2013. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"BP Oil Spill Trial To Begin as Settlement Talks Continue" (Nola.com) [3]

"As BP Trial Nears, Hints of Progress on a Deal" (New York Times) [4]

"Settlement Offer to BP Takes Shape" (Wall St. Journal) [5]

"BP, Halliburton, Transocean, Plaintiffs’ Lawyers All Prepare To Face Off in Gulf Oil Spill Trial" (Washington Post) [6]