April 20, 2010, caused an ecological disaster of a great scale in the Gulf of Mexico. The whole situation was characterized as one of the most catastrophic environmental incidents of the decade. Several people were killed and almost 750 million liters of crude oil were released in the sea covering an area of about 176,000 acres. The oil spill left many problems behind: an extensive dead marine fauna and flora, fish contamination, serious hazards for the life and health of the people in the coastal areas, tourism degradation, etc. The Company was sentenced by the American Courts for ‘serious negligence’ and ‘deliberate mistake’ and condemned to pay a large sum of money for the damages, but BP challenged the decision and exercised appeal.
