Flournoy v. BP Exploration & Production, Inc. ( 2023 )

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA BRUCE HUNT CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 13-1017 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (2) INC., ET AL MARCINE RYENELL GOLDSMITH CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3256 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (2) INC., ET AL THOMAS HINES, JR. CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3280 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL ANTHONY DEMOND JACKSON CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3294 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (5) INC., ET AL TAIJAHRELL S. KENNER CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3314 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL JEREMY LADYDE MCGILL CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3395 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL VONSHEA REANEA CHATMAN CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3646 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL FRED JOE CONLEY CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3650 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (2) INC., ET AL ERNEST J. GIUSTI, JR. CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-3996 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL SAMUEL O’NEAL CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4076 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (5) INC., ET AL JUANITA TOLER CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4267 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (2) INC., ET AL JEREMY WATTS CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4298 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (5) INC., ET AL HOWARD JONES CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4380 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL DAVID ALAN FLOURNOY, SR. CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4396 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (2) INC., ET AL ELBERT LEE, JR. CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4406 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (5) INC., ET AL JIMMIE THOMAS CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4547 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL MISHA N. SEWER CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4581 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (5) INC., ET AL AARON WILLIS CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4597 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (5) INC., ET AL KIMBERLY NICOLE TAYLOR CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4603 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (5) INC., ET AL DEFORREST DARRELL THOMPSON CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4611 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (1) INC., ET AL GLYNN CHARLES WALKER CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO: 17-4645 BP EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, SECTION T (4) INC., ET AL ORDER The captioned cases are B-3 medical cases arising out of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Before the Court now are two identical motions filed in eac h of these cases by Defendants, BP Exploration & Production Inc., BP America Production Company, and BP p.l.c. (collectively “BP”):1 a Daubert Motion to Exclude the General Causation Opinions of Plaintiff’s Expert, Dr. Jerald Cook and a Motion 1 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Transocean Deepwater, Inc., Transocean Holdings, LLC, and Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling, Inc. join in both motions. for Summary Judgment. Plaintiffs have filed identical oppositions. Having considered the motions and legal memoranda, the record, and the applicable law, the Court finds that both motions should be granted. Both the Daubert Motion and the Motion for Summary Judgment filed in the above captioned cases are identical to motions this Court has previously granted in similar B-3 medical cases.2 The Court is not alone in this conclusion, which is joined by at least seven other judges of this Court. In addition, the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed the reasoning adopted by this Court.3 Even considering the supplemental memorandum in opposition,4 which consists of irrelevant information as to the general causation issue as previously ruled on by this Court in similar B-3 medical cases, the Court’s conclusion remains the same. Therefore, for the previous reasons cited by this Court as well as the seven other judges of this Court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, both the Daubert Motion and the Motion for Summary Judgment shall be granted. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that Defendants’ Daubert Motion to Exclude the General Causation Opinions of Plaintiff’s Expert, Dr. Jerald Cook in each of the above cases is GRANTED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment in each of the above cases is GRANTED. 2 See Baggett v. BP Expl. & Prod., No. 17-3030, R. Doc. 77; see also Heathington v. BP Expl. & Prod., No. 17-4353, R. Doc. 82 (Barbier, J.); Barkley v. BP Expl. & Prod., No. 13-995, R. Doc. 50 (Barbier, J.). 3 See Byrd v. BP Exploration & Production, Incorporated, 2023 WL 4046280 (5th Cir. June 16, 2023). 4 Filed in some of these cases. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that all claims of the Plaintiff in each of the above cases against Defendants, BP Exploration & Production Inc., BP America Production Company, BP p.lc., Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Transocean Deepwater, Inc., Transocean Holdings, LLC, and Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling, Inc. are hereby DISMISSED with prejudice, New Orleans, Louisiana this 30th day of June, 2023. Hon. Greg Gerard Guidry =| United States District Judge