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British Petroleum, BP Oil Spill Lawsuit

On April 20th, an explosion of an oil rig owned by Transocean and leased by British Petroleum (BP) killed and injured 28 workers. But those are not the only victims. For those people living and working along the Gulf Coast, the subsequent oil spill will cost billions of dollars in clean up, loss of business, and loss of income, not to mention the devastation to the wildlife, wetlands and beaches.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting British Petroleum or BP oil spill related claims in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by the oil spill, you should contact our firm immediately for a free case consultation. Please click here to contact our Environmental Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

More British Petroleum, BP Oil Spill Information

For those who remember the Valdez oil spill and the devastation it caused, to hear that the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is even worse is simply unthinkable. But for the residents and businesses along the Gulf Coast, it is the reality they face. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry, who is leading the government’s response to the disaster, warned that if the well is not secured the spill could end up being one of the worst in U.S. history.

The BP rig is spilling at least 210,000 gallons of oil a day into the ocean. None of the safety mechanism designed to prevent such a disaster worked and now, there are at least three leaks almost a mile beneath the ocean’s surface. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen said that trying to stop the leaks is “one of the most complex things we’ve every done.” Currently, there is kink so to say in the pipe that is preventing it from spilling even more oil a day into the Gulf. However, Commandant Allen said that in the worst-case scenario, the well could spill 4.2 million gallons of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico. And more than a week after the oil began leaking, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said “ultimate relief’ from the oil spill was 90 days away.”

While the magnitude of the spill and amount of oil spewing into the Gulf per day remain unanswered questions, who to blame does not appear to. “BP is the responsible party,” says Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on “State of the Union.” She also said that BP is responsible for getting the well shut off, although the Coast Guard will be overseeing the efforts. Even BP appears to be accepting responsibility for this catastrophic event, although it believes Transocean equipment was faulty. BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward said the company would do “everything in our power to contain this oil spill and resolve the situation as rapidly, safely and effectively as possible,”

No matter when BP finally gets the well to stop leaking, the damage has been done. The main question will be the extent and only time will tell. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez dumped approximately 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. That oil spill was over 20 years ago, but the clean up and the impact still continues. Many have heard about booms, controlled burns and chemicals being dispersed into the water, but only a fraction of the oil will be recovered. “Despite spending $2 billion dollars and using every known clean-up method there was, they recovered 8 percent of the spilled Exxon Valdez oil,” said Jeffrey Short, Pacific science director for Oceana, an ocean conservation organization. What that means is that the vast majority of the oil spilled will float along in the oceans, into the wetlands, and rivers, onto the beaches. And the oil will not go away any time soon. For instance, in 2001 researchers dug over 12,000 holes at dozens of beach sites that had been covered in oil during the 1989 Valdez oil spill. The team found black, oily liquid in over half of the holes.

This catastrophic event will impact the lives of people living along the Gulf Coast and beyond. People and businesses will see their property covered with “black gold” although it will be bills for the clean up and disputes with insurance companies they have to look forward to, not a royalties check. Fishermen, shrimpers, and those involved in the seafood industry will face huge business losses for years. The people and businesses along the beautiful white beaches of the Gulf coast that depend on vacation rentals and tourism will also find their livelihood in jeopardy.

Do I Have a British Petroleum, BP Oil Spill Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting British Petroleum or BP oil spill related claims in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by the oil spill, you should contact our firm immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Environmental Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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