How to File a BP Claim for Loss of Income, Wages or Revenue

The April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed 11 workers and poured as much as 25,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico daily, according to Reuters news reports. Gulf-region industries such as fishing, wildlife, tourism and oil extraction suffered in the wake of the BP oil spill. Under the terms of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, BP must compensate workers and business owners for loss of income, wages and revenue resulting from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Workers and owners displaced by the gulf oil spill should know how to file a BP claim for lost income to regain financial stability.

Things You'll Need

• Paystubs going back two months
• W-2 forms from 2009
• Profit and loss sheets for business owners

Instructions

Filing a BP Claim Online

1. Gather together the necessary documentation for filing a BP claim or loss of income, lost wages or lost revenue. For employees, this means pay stubs for the past two months and W-2 forms for 2009. For owners, this means profit and loss statements for the past year.

2. Complete the BP Claims Submission Form (see Resources). The online form is fairly short and asks basic questions such as name, address, industry and other personal questions. The form also asks about property that may have been damaged in the gulf oil spill. Ignore this section if your only issue is lost income.

3. Submit the BP oil spill claim. Within 48 hours a customer service representative should contact you to discuss interim payments. BP pays up to $5,000 per month as an interim payment for workers and owners who lost income, wages or revenue.

4. Collect the interim payment at a BP claims office in your state. BP offices are in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Mississippi (see Resources).

5. Answer any questions the follow-up customer service representative asks when investigating the claim you filed. A BP claims investigator will call and ask for documentation regarding the claim, and may report in person to your home or business to examine any property related to loss of income.

Filing a BP Claim by Phone

1. Collect documents related to income, wages and revenue, such as pay stubs, W-2 forms, and profit and loss statements for small businesses.

2. Call the Deepwater Horizon Response Hotline at 800-440-0858.

3. Follow the directions given by the customer service representative processing the BP oil spill claim.

4. Collect the interim payment offered by the BP claims process at the BP Claims Office in your state (see Resources).

5. Answer BP investigators' questions regarding your claim, as they determine the total amount of compensation and prepare to issue a payment for the remainder of the lost income, wages or revenue.

Tips & Warnings

• Families experiencing significant financial hardship from lost wages can also turn to DisasterAssistance.gov, a federal government clearinghouse that provides direct links to federal assistance programs to families.

• If you hire a lawyer or join a class-action lawsuit, you must use your attorney for all claims, and cannot file using the processes described in the article.

References

• Reuters: UK to Boost Safety Inspections After BP Oil Spill
• Environmental Protection Agency: Oil Pollution Act Overview

Resources

• BP: Claims Submission Form
• DisasterAssistance.gov: File a Claim with BP
• Deepwater Horizon Response: BP Claims Office Locations