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Legal help for those affected by the BP oil spill of 2010
On April 20th, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig stationed in the Gulf of Mexico exploded killing eleven people. For three months, 208.5 million gallons of toxic oil spilled into the waters near the gulf coast. The total space covered was about half the size of California. While media focused on the environmental impact, the financial impact on individuals and small businesses continues even to this day. The tourism and fishing businesses experienced a huge drop in revenue. In Florida alone, tourism went down 10 percent, which cost the state $2.2 billion (CBS News). The impact to the ecosystem cost some fishermen their only source of income.
Weitz & Luxenberg currently represents over 500 fishermen in a class action lawsuit. These fishermen relied on commerce generated by the fish in the gulf coast to make a living. Some are now left with a diminished source of income, while others are without an income entirely. Weitz & Luxenberg is working hard to getting them the compensation they deserve.
The toll on the fishing business
Captain Keith Kennedy is a resident of Louisiana and fisherman by trade. In June, 2010, he was interviewed by the Daily Beast about how the BP oil spill has affected his livelihood. The reporter describes that Keith has been surviving on nothing but black coffee, a single helping of crawfish étoufée, and a couple packs of cigarettes per day.
“There’s no light at the end of the tunnel at this point in time,” says Kennedy. “At least with Katrina, you knew you could rebuild, you knew you could start fishing at some point.” (The Daily Beast)
Keith simply cannot get the fish he used to because of the toll the oil spill took on the oceanic ecosystem along the gulf coast, and he is not the only one facing extraordinary financial losses.
In December 2010, the Associated Press reported that “Many shrimpers and oystermen are catching and selling only a fraction of previous hauls. Business owners who saw a summer of lost revenue are still struggling to pay their bills, and many had to lay off workers to make it through the slow winter months.” (Yahoo News)
In November, 2010, NOAA was forced to close 4,213 square miles of royal red shrimp fishing due to the discovery of tarballs in the water.
The decline of the tourism industry
Louis Skrmetta is the owner of the Ship Island Excursions ferry business off the Mississippi coast who has said that his business dropped 60 percent this season. Louis considered filing for bankruptcy due to the lack of tourism to the gulf coast.
“They continue to find oil every day on the barrier islands," says Skrmetta, which he adds does not bode well for the future of tourism.
Dan Favre, a spokesman for the Gulf Restoration Network, says that, “Families continue to need assistance and businesses are grappling with uncertainties about the future…After eight months, oil is still here and so are we. The BP disaster continues to have real impacts on real people," (Nola.com).
The decline of tourism is another example of how people are continuously affected by the oil spill. A lawsuit can help compensate you for your earnings lost. Weitz & Luxenberg is skilled and experienced at getting compensation for those affected by the BP oil spill.
The $20 billion fund
Kenneth Feinberg is overseeing the payments to those affected by the oil spill. The way it is set up now, people have the option to take a payment immediately as long as they sign away their right to sue BP over the spill in the future. This can be a problem because many do not know how much financial loss they will accrue as time goes on.
“If [those negatively affected by the spill] decide a year from now, I'll take the final payment; they're going to have to show prospective damage," says Feinberg. "But my offer may not be available to them a year from now if everything is back to normal."
Keath Ladner, a Mississippi seafood processor, says that this process is causing people "to gamble on our livelihoods."
Ladner ran a profitable seafood business. He used to employ an estimated 70 boats, and be one of the largest processors in Mississippi. His business has been closed since the April 20 oil rig explosion. The problem is that he simply has not had the product or work force to make a profit. In addition, Ladner has had no national buyers for his seafood because of the on-going perception that it is contaminated by oil.
Keath is filing for roughly $1.7 million in compensation (NJ.com).
For so many affected by the oil spill, the $20 billion fund set up by BP simply is a pittance. With the amount of individuals affected, the best someone could hope for is a generous three months of pay, but what good is this for someone who has lost his or her hotel? A person who has lost his or her business, and had to file for bankruptcy needs more compensation than this fund can offer. Weitz & Luxenberg can assist these individuals in getting the proper compensation for their losses.
Protect your financial interests
The parties responsible for the Gulf Coast oil spill can be held accountable; however, the longer you wait, the less likely it is that you can get compensation. Weitz & Luxenberg will help you file a lawsuit against BP that can compensate you for losses such as:
- Income dependent on fishing, clamming, shrimping, or any other oceanic-based business
- Income dependent on tourism
- Income dependent on migration to the gulf coast area
- Out-of-pocket expenses related to the oil spill
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Moving costs
- Incurred debt as a result of expenses and lack of income
To get started, simply fill out the form on this page. You can explain your case, and receive a free legal consultation from a Weitz & Luxenberg representative with no obligation.
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see also:
BP claims restrictions
Feinberg’s restrictive categories to Gulf oil spill claimsRestrictive catergories by Feinberg on oil spill claims in Gulf
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