Submitted by Fox First at Ten on September 14th
By MICHAEL KUNZELMANAssociated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP PLC is asking a federal judge to dismiss claims by its fuel dealers that the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico diminished the value of the BP brand and cost them business.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier didn't immediately rule Friday.
BP attorney Christopher Landau said claims that BP dealers lost money due to consumer animosity after the spill must be thrown out because they aren't covered by either the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 or general maritime law.
A lawyer for BP dealers Tobatex Inc. and M.R.M. Energy Inc., argues other federal and state laws apply to their claims.
Bleau said bungling by BP corporate executives after the nation's worst offshore spill severely damaged the brand name. Switching brands wasn't an option for the dealers.
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