Orange County Oil Spill Class Action

Case: East Meets West Excursions; Mike Owens, Michael Jensen, Patrick Mahoney; Jolynn Mahoney; Steven Rosansky, Gina Rosansky; John Pedicini, Marysue Pedicini, Plaintiffs VS. Amplify Energy Corporation, a Texas corporation; Beta Operation Company LLC d/b/a Beta Offshore, a Texas corporation; San Pedro Bay Pipeline

Lead Case Number: 8.21-cv-01725

Court: US District Court for the Central District of California Southern Division

Result: $50 million settlement with Amplify Energy Corporation; $45 million settlement with multiple shipping companies

Result Date: September 2023

On October 2, 2021, an underwater oil pipeline off the Huntington Beach coast ruptured, spilling an estimated 126,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The rupture created a 13-square-mile slick, which deposited oil onto beaches and wetlands. News reports indicate that the leaked oil originated from an offshore oil platform owned by Beta Offshore, a subsidiary of Amplify Energy Corporation, a Houston-based oil company.

AAC’s litigation team, including Wylie Aitken, Darren Aitken, and Megan Demshki, served as lead counsel and co-counsel in the OC oil spill class action. The team negotiated substantial settlements that provided fair compensation for the hundreds of oil spill victims, including local businesses, fishermen, and homeowners. In April 2023, the legal team secured a court-approved $50 million settlement with Amplify Energy for residents and business owners affected by the spill. In September 2023, they obtained final approval from the court for a $45 million settlement from multiple shipping companies involved in the oil spill to pay Orange County residents whose businesses and property were damaged by the 2021 OC oil spill.