The company, which claims that law firms are picking up three times as much as the average business and averaging compensation of $812,000, says that the payouts are the result of a misinterpretation of the settlement by the claims administrator Patrick Juneau. In the last two months the figures per law firm  have doubled to around $1.5 million for each claim. However, law firms say they are entitled to the amounts and that BP is having second thoughts as its bills mount up, according to the Financial Times.

Court challenge

Firms representing claimants are permitted to claim for 25 per cent of their client’s compensation – some $2.5 billion dollars so far. Other law firms can claim compensation if they show disruption to their earnings due to the disaster – and which BP is disputing. All claimants are able to use records of cash inflow and outflows but BP says this is an unfair way of assessing loss as companies can choose which comparisons to make to maximise so called losses and is challenging the interpretation in the courts.