Plaintiffs rest case in trial over deadly rig explosion, 2010 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS – Plaintiffs’ attorneys have rested their case at a trial over the deadly Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

A federal judge heard testimony by more than a dozen witnesses called by the Justice Department and private attorneys for Gulf Coast residents and businesses. The plaintiffs’ lawyers rested Wednesday after their last witness, a former employee of cement contractor Halliburton, finished testifying.

The trial continues with more testimony by witnesses for rig owner Transocean Ltd, whose chief executive testified Tuesday. BP and Halliburton also will call their own witnesses.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier is hearing testimony without a jury. Barring a settlement, he could decide how much more money the companies owe for their roles in the nation’s worst offshore oil spill.