BP pays out $3.1M to Lafourche residents

With the Vessels of Opportunity program employing some fishermen in Lafourche Parish, a small percentage of financially affected residents are able to recoup some of their losses.

But for residents who are unable to work through the program or those who simply haven’t been called yet, time keeps passing while the bills keep coming.

But there is hope for Lafourche Parish residents who have lost, are losing or will lose income because of the oil spill.

BP opened a claims office at 16263 East Main St. in Cut Off (old CVS building near the South Lafourche Library) several weeks ago and is accepting claims from anyone who has been affected financially due to the oil spill.

“We’re extremely sorry that this has happened and has put us in the position of having to go to you and talk to you about these issues – that it impacted your parish so severely, that it impacted your state so severely and that has impacted these fishermen,” said BP spokesperson Hugh Depland.

Lafourche Parish residents have filed a total of 1,741 claims, with $3.1 million already paid out to parish citizens.

That equates to more than 600 claims receiving payment so far.

“You may or you may not get paid,” said Depland. “There is a process by which our claims are evaluated, and it is determined whether the claim is related to the oil spill. If there is any claim in this process BP claims is directly related to the oil spill – the direct outflow of the spill – then that is a claim we have decided we will pay.”

Depland said BP is committed to making these payments every month until it has fixed the problem it has created.

BP began paying residents a maximum of $5,000 a month, something that troubled local residents who are losing more than that figure in income and are still living in the red.

“We recognize that $5,000 doesn’t necessarily solve your problems, so we have this process that we’re just starting now called ‘truing up’ where we’re going to sit down with you and look at your records,” said Depland. “We’re going to make good the difference, so $5,000 isn’t a final number. It’s a place we started, because we wanted to start somewhere to get money to you very quickly.”

Depland urges Vessels of Opportunity contracted workers who have not received a call to go to work yet to submit claims in order to receive some sort of income until they receive the call.

“We are using all of the boats that we have work for,” he said. “The other boats that are not working and have not been activated can file a claim for their economic losses, which are real economic losses, and it will be reimbursed for those claims.”

He said if a fisherman begins working for the program, the money they earn would then be deducted from their claims check.

Residents can still file a claim with BP by calling (800) 440-0858.

After making the call, a claims adjuster will then contact the claimant within seven to 10 days to detail the remainder of the claims process which will most likely result in a visit to the Lafourche BP Claims Office in Cut Off.

Claimants should bring a photo I.D., something to show income from prior years including tax forms and trip tickets, and any other relevant documentation pertaining to their claim.

Business owners and boat owners should also bring any ownership and registration documents.