My firm represents about 12,000 victims, most of whom will never see any money. The Gulf of Mexico has been ruined in perpetuity. They sprayed Corexit instead of other dispersants because it was the best at sinking the oil to the bottom, out of site. This way, BP can continue to lie about how much was spilled and not have to clean most of it up.
The corruption involved in this disaster has been monumental and goes on to this day:
1. BP names Ken Feinberg the "Independent" claims adjuster. Ken went around to Town Hall meetings and on TV to proclaim his independence and that people did not need to hire an attorney. BP, seeing that Obama was in trouble before the 2010 mid-terms as this was becoming his, "Katrina," got him to bless BP's "20 billion dollar fund and "independent" Ken Feinberg. Obama also had to put the Coast Guard under BP's control. They were the ones who would spray the Corexit at night from the planes and say whatever Feinberg and BP told them to say. (Judge Barbier later ruled that he had always been BP's representative.);
2. BP got the Plaintiff's Steering Committee (PSC) appointed by their good friend, Judge Barbier, to get the judge to grant a continuance to their trial with Halliburton and Transocean, freeze all settlement talks and fire Feinberg (he was paying cases too fast and too much for their liking), and announce that they had agreed to a settlement of all claims. The Class Settlement is denying 75% of all claims, and the ones who were paid were only paid a fraction of their losses. Most of the victims paid are now being investigated so BP can claw back their money; The PSC agreed to this one-sided class settlement and their friend the judge approved it after BP promised to pay the PSC $600,000,000 in attorneys fees and case expenses, BUT, ONLY IF the settlement went through without being overturned. For some reason the PSC will not complain about most of the victims not qualifying for the Class Settlement's very onerous requirements and documentation. They even went so far as to send letters to OUR clients that opted out of the class settlement, without notifying us that they were doing so, advising them that the judge had extended the opt in deadline and to fill out the enclosed form and mail it back to the court in the pre-stamped, addressed envelope. They still will not tell us which clients or how many fell for this. The settlement contains a provision under seal where BP can back out of the settlement without paying the $600,000,000 if above a certain percentage of victims opt out. Once you are in you cannot get back out of the settlement. Kinda like a roach motel;
3. BP has been the largest advertiser on the Gulf Coast since the spill. No TV, radio, or newspaper along the coast will dare t write or say anything about what is happening for fear of losing the ad revenue. BP, BRITISH Petroleum even sponsored our last 2 Olympic teams. They have confidentially bought up almost every documentary done on the spill.
4. The Gulf states have yet to be paid and at various times the Republican state Attorney Generals have come out publicly about how they are going to get the money from lost tax revenue from BP, then mysteriously go silent! Alabama recently switched to a PSC member law firm and got a trial setting from the judge. Our clients who opted out and filed suit had their suits automatically transferred to judge Barbier's court where he has sat on them, refusing to let them go forward. It has been 5 years and we still have not been allowed to start working on these cases with no end in sight. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, the most corporate friendly appeals court in the land by statistics, is who our appeals go to, get the picture? Wait their is more! Both Scalia and Alito's sons work for BP's defense firm!
Justice in America when fighting corporations!
Answer truthfully, you thought there was actually a fund with 20 billion in it that paid these claims, right?
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