May 22, 2013
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The first BP executive to testify at a trial spawned by the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has taken the stand.
Lamar McKay was president of BP America at the time of the disaster. He is the trial's second witness and is expected to be the highest-ranking BP official to testify in person. His appearance Tuesday followed testimony by a plaintiffs' expert who criticized BP's safety record.
This isn't the first time McKay has testified under oath about the spill. He appeared before Congress less than a month after the deadly rig explosion.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier is hearing the case without a jury. Barring a settlement, Barbier will decide how much more money BP and other companies owe for their roles in the disaster.
