Calcasieu, Cameron can join spill suit
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 2:22 PM
By John Guidroz / American Press
Residents and business owners in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes who suffered economic or property damage because of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill could get some of the $7.7 billion that BP officials expect to be paid out of the class action lawsuit, according to officials overseeing the claims process. “It’s the single biggest, most massive (and) complex disaster distribution that has ever taken place in the United States,” Patrick Juneau, who is heading the claims, said Monday. “It’s a court-supervised program (and) very transparent. There’s a tremendous economic benefit that can come to citizens and businesses.” Nearly 19,000 claims have been filed since filing began June 4, Juneau said. The claims can range from economic losses, to coastal or wetland property damage. “People in various areas along the coast very likely have eligible claims,” he said. “When in doubt, file.” Juneau said people can file a claim online or at one of the 18 claims offices along the Gulf Coast, including Bridge City, Texas. The sites were opened after federal court Judge Carl Barbier gave the lawsuit preliminary approval May 2. A final approval hearing is set for Nov. 8, but Juneau said claim money could be paid before that. People who file claims can opt out of them by Oct. 1. The final filing deadline is April 2014. Those who were initially denied a claim by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility should reapply, he said.
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