The Associated Press is now reporting President Obama and British Petroleum have come to an agreement regarding the establishment of a fund to help pay off claims. This fund is expected to be over $20 billion and will be tied to the claims process that has already begun in the…
Dozens of class action lawsuits have already been filed in the Gulf Coast region (including Louisiana, Florida and Texas) against the companies who may hold some responsibility for the oil spill disaster-BP first, followed by Transocean, Cameron, and Halliburton, among others. BP and Transocean are dealing with wrongful death lawsuits…
Having taught Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars on a variety of topics including Chinese drywall and, soon, oil leak litigation, lead attorney Jeffrey Berniard has been a relied upon expert on matters relating to claims and the wide variety of problems and delays claimants, and their attorneys, often face in…
Terrebonne Parish has announced that BP has opened an additional claims office within the parish. Located at 5703 Highway 56 in Chauvin, the office is slated to take claims between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. any days of the week.
There is an availability of funds under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) for Louisiana residents who have suffered property damage because of the crude oil washing ashore. Oil damage to boats is treated differently from other forms of personal property damage under…
Deckhands are just one of the many affected employment groups that are facing hardship as a result of the BP oil leak. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) (33 U.S.C. 2701 et. seq.) is the law that established the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and covers incidences such as…
Before filing a claim, individuals looking for relief due to oil leak damages (both to their property and for lost wages) must call 1-800-440-0858. After reporting their claim to that number and following the directions therein, individuals may then go to a Oil-Spill Claim Center for assistance in receiving compensation.…
In the wake of the BP oil spill that has sent the Gulf Coast into a state of panic, a variety of individuals that derive their livelihood from waterways that may soon be immersed in crude are becoming concerned with how they will continue to stay afloat financially. There is,…
On Friday afternoon, Jeffrey P. Berniard of the New Orleans-based Berniard Law Firm, LLC, conducted an on-deck inspection of the 263-foot cargo ship, Damon Bankston, which is leased by BP. The ship was used to return some of the rescued crewmembers of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig to BP’s Fourchon…
Toxic chinese drywall that was installed in many Louisiana homes has been discovered to emit sulfur, methane, and other toxins. The drywall is thought to be responsible for homeowner’s health problems and a variety of damage to household appliances. Just recently, a federal judge in New Orleans awarded several homeowners…