20th April 2010 is an unforgettable date for many people. Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed 11 workers on that day. According to the Reuters News Report, due to this incident, 25000 barrels of oil had been poured into the Gulf of Mexico every day. Many industries such as fishing, tourism, oil extraction, etc had been badly affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. What can the victims of this incident do to regain their losses? They can file a BP claim.
Filing a BP claim is not hard. The claiming procedure is quite simple. Let me show you the steps:
Step 1: Gather all the necessary documents
The first step you need to take is to gather all the necessary documents which are required to serve as proof. For your information, the claim can be due to the loss of income, loss of wages or loss of revenue. If you are a business owner, you need to get ready your profit and loss statements for the year of 2009. On the other hand, if you are an employee, you need to prepare your pay stubs and W-2 forms for 2009. The BP claim offices need these documents for verification.
Step 2: Complete the claim form
In order to claim your losses, you are required to complete the BP claim form. You can download the form online. The form is very simple and short. You need to answer some basic questions such as your full name, address, occupation and other personal questions. In the case where your property has been damaged in the oil spill incident, you are reminded to fill up the details of your property in the form too. If you are not sure where to obtain the form, you can call up the Deepwater Horizon Response Hotline at 800-440-0858 to enquire. The customer service representatives will be able to assist you.
Step 3: Submit the claim form
Once you have completed the form, you can submit it to the claim office. The representative from the claim office will contact you within 48 hours to discuss the interim payment. The maximum interim payment BP made is $ 5000 per month.
Step 4: Collect your interim payment
After checking your eligibility, you will be informed to collect your interim payment at BP claim office. Currently, BP has its claim offices in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
Step 5: Answer the investigators’ questions
After receiving your interim payment, it is not the end of the story. You need to get the remaining balance too. In order for you to claim in full, you will be contacted by the investigators from BP. These officers normally ask you some questions so that they can determine the total amount of compensation to be made to you. If the claim is related to your property, the officers normally examine your property personally.
All the steps mentioned above are only applicable for those victims who haven’t hired a lawyer or joined a class-action lawsuit. You can’t file the claim on your own if you have already got legal assistance. You are required to use your attorney for all claims.