(UPDATED JUNE 8, 2015) On December 21, 2012, the Court entered final approval of the Settlement between a large class of Plaintiffs and BP, which includes a claims process for economic and property damages, as well as medical damages. We represent hundreds of clients who have filed for compensation under the Settlement. Davis & Whitlock and the Gulf Oil Spill Litigators have recovered millions of dollars for their clients throughout the Gulf. June 8, 2015, was the final deadline for the filing of new claims in the Settlement. We will continue to work with the Claims Administrator until the last eligible claim is paid. For more information, visit the Gulf Oil Spill Litigators website (GulfOilSpillLitigators.com), call 1-800-419-1808 or 828-622-0044.
On April 20, 2010, a massive offshore oil rig known as the Deepwater Horizon, operated by oil giant BP and owned by Transocean, exploded and caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico killing 11 workers. Firefighters and the U.S. Coast Guard fought for 2 days to contain the fire, but the rig sank on April 22, creating an unstoppable leak of crude that has become the biggest oil disaster the U.S. has ever seen. The gushing leak was not stopped until September 2010 after more than 200 million gallons of oil had contaminated the Gulf, more than 7 times the oil released by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989.
In addition to Louisiana’s fragile wetlands, the beautiful beaches of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle have been fouled by the toxic mess. Fishing was shut down across major portions of the Gulf, and tourism-related businesses were devastated. Oil crept into Mobile Bay, Perdido Bay, and Pensacola Bay, and massive oil slicks were found floating in the middle of the Gulf carried by winds and currents.
Litigation against BP, Transocean, and other defendants was consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. Over the last five years, Davis & Whitlock, along with other firms involved with the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, has been working on holding BP accountable. We have partnered with law firms in Alabama and Florida to bring claims on behalf of impacted businesses and property owners forming Gulf Oil Spill Litigators, LLC (GulfOilSpillLitigators.com).