BP Litigation and Gulf Oil Spill

A few months ago I watched an interesting documentary on the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound,  Alaska. The documentary exposed the tactics used by Exxon to reduce the damages inflicted by the American Court system, down to what was a ridiculously low level considering the damages inflicted to the livelihoods of the people.
It also showed the environmental effects of the oil still lingering 25 years after the spill.
Now with the current disaster afflicting BP and the Louisiana coast, it will be salutary if similar issues arise. This linked article argues that with 200,000 litres of oil a day spilling from the well head, this current spill may be larger than the Exxon spill. I hope not after watching the 3 month delay is capping the recent West Australian spill.
Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico is a less pristine, more populated and probably economically more important to the US and other countries than Prince William Sound. So for their sakes I hope the clean up and capturing oil technology is not only better, more efficiently employed and the toxic effects less long-lived in a tropical system.
Lets also hope BP (Beyond Petroleum) is a better corporate citizen than Exxon. I doubt it, as the legal system goes into full swing once the spill is under control, though there are suggestions the legal system may up the damages amounts
A Youtube Video show some of what has been happening in Alaska