This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
New Orleans • The man who has overseen the long, complicated job of paying out billions of dollars to the victims of the BP oil spill was relieved of his duties Thursday when a federal court took over the claims process ahead of a historic settlement.
U.S District Judge Carl Barbier's order calls for a court-appointed administrator to take over from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility led by Kenneth Feinberg, who previously oversaw a compensation fund for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The move is part of a proposed multibillion-dollar settlement between BP and plaintiffs' attorneys representing more than 100,000 individuals and businesses.
Feinberg said he was honored to oversee the claims process that BP created after its blown-out Macondo well triggered a deadly rig explosion in April 2010 and spawned the nation's worst offshore oil spill.
"It was a difficult assignment, but I think we fulfilled our mandate," Feinberg told The Associated Press during a telephone interview Thursday. "I think we did the job and we did it right."
BP agreed to pay up to $20 billion to compensate commercial fishermen, charter captains, property owners, hotels and others who claim they suffered economic losses after the spill. The GCCF has processed about 221,300 claims and paid out more than $6 billion from the fund.
The judge appointed Lynn Greer, a Richmond, Va.-based attorney, to fill in for Feinberg and serve as transition coordinator. Patrick Juneau, a Lafayette-based attorney, will take over for Greer and serve as the court-appointed administrator for economic loss claims if Barbier gives preliminary approval to the settlement announced last Friday. BP said it expects to pay out $7.8 billion in the settlement with the plaintiffs. Plaintiffs' attorneys who brokered the settlement have maintained that the court-supervised claims process is a better vehicle for resolving claims than the GCCF has been.
The fund paid out the most to businesses and individuals who lost wages and earnings because of the spill, or about $5.9 billion. But the fund also covered other claims and paid about $250,000 to fishermen and communities — such as American Indians — that depend on seafood in their daily lives, $198 million to cover death and injury claims stemming from the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, $6.4 million for property damage and $2.6 million for cleanup.
The fund paid out emergency claims right after the spill, and then moved to get claimants to accept a final offer or take interim payments.
Feinberg's critics complained that the GCCF, at least in its early days, processed claims too slowly and overlooked certain types of claims, including those by people who blamed ailments on exposure to oil and dispersants.
"I think that's wonderful if they can make it more generous and broaden the eligibility criteria," Feinberg said.
Florida BP Oil Claims, Gulf Coast Business Claims, and GCCF Assistance. Get The Money BP Oils Owes You! Here is a partial list of gulf coast bp oil claim businesses that qualify :
- BP Claims for Condominium Owners
- Cleaning Service Owners
- Landscaping Company Owners
- Boat Owners for Commercial Fishing
- Marina Owners
- Dock Owners
- Pier Owners
- BP Claims for Hotels
- Boat Ramp Owners
- Restaurant Owners
- Bar Owners
- Concrete Company Owners
- Hotel Installation Business Owners
- BP Claims for Property Owners/Managers
- Owners of Transportation Companies
- Commercial Painting Companies Owners
- BP Claims for Property Value Loss
- Construction Company Owners
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Liquor Stores
- Taxi Drivers
- Limouzine Drivers
- Florists
- Vacation Home Owners
- Antique Shops
- Memorabilia Shops
- Tour Business Owners
Florida BP Oil Claims, Gulf Coast Business Claims, and GCCF Assistance. Get The Money BP Oils Owes You! http://bit.ly/pYJjmY
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